


Would You Kindly, Daddy?

by Emono



Category: BioShock, Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Angst and Feels, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bioshock - Freeform, Bioshock Spoilers, Body Worship, Bonding, Breeding Kink, Crossdressing Kink, Daddy Kink, Dirty Talk, Drug Use, Explicit Language, Face-Sitting, Fanart, Feminization, Frottage, Genderplay, Genetic Engineering, Genetically Engineered Beings, Imprinting, Lingerie, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Brainwashing, Shameless Smut, Size Kink, Spanking, Teenage Lads, Threesome - M/M/M, Voyeurism, but it's ADAM, but nothing super bad, includes, may be triggering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-03-02 02:14:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 127,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2796002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With all the dictators gone, Little Brothers freely roamed Rapture with their Big Daddies in tow. Beautiful boys sucking up ADAM and filling themselves with it until they were brimming, overflowing, and their Daddies were always right there to give them sweet release. Michael, Ray, even forgotten little Gavin...all so gorgeous and innocent in their own way. </p><p>All unknowingly waiting for another Ace in the Hole, a different kind of hero to complete their trio. </p><p>(Or: The Bioshock AU with super feminized young Lads that no one asked for)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Introduction - Welcome to Rapture

**I realize I'm at a very narrow audience here but I love Bioshock so much and this idea came to me while I was still feverish. I outlined it while I was super sick and decided to keep it. The Lads are physically around 16, so no creepy age thing (though that is still young). Give me a shout out if you want more - check the tags, it gets super kinky. This intro is just to catch everybody up if they have no idea about Bioshock - give it a play or a read, it's super amazing with great story. I've changed up the universe to fit my horribly kinky version.**

 

* * *

 

 

Rapture was a haven for the oppressed, the abused, the hard working artisan who the world had chewed up and spat back out. Beneath the sea lay a bonafied Heaven for the man who could not make it in such a small, narrow-minded world. War World II had made the world a hectic, dog-eat-dog place that wasn't meant for the tender hearted artist. It was an aquatic escape, a paradise bathed in a sapphire light from the serene sea that flowed just outside the sturdy walls and thick glass windows. Miles below the sea was where they could find their haven, their home.

 

-

 

“ _I am Andrew Ryan, and I’m here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? ‘No!’ says the man in Washington, ‘It belongs to the poor.’ ‘No!’ says the man in the Vatican, ‘It belongs to God.’ ‘No!’ says the man in Moscow, ‘It belongs to everyone.’ I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose… Rapture, a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, Where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well.”_

 

-

 

Andrew Ryan, Atlas, Fontaine, Sofia Lamb, Augustus Sinclair, even Sander Cohen – many tried to master the illustrious city. One by one they tried and fell like dominoes under her might. She was too big for one dictator, too chaotic for just two hands to hold. Rapture was a living, breathing entity with Splicers laced through her like gun-wielding muscle and ADAM pumping thick through her veins like life blood. The leaders all came close but none could manage the difficult task.

 

And then there was Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum and her orphans. Baby boys became untrendy with Rapture's elite and they were either discreetly smothered or left to die in trash cans. You couldn't put little boys up in fancy dresses and expensive silks, and young fathers didn't want the potential competition for jobs growing up in their own home. Where there was tragedy, Tenebaum saw opportunity for her research in ADAM. She started taking the babies up, her Little Boys, and found they were the perfect host for the ADAM-producing Sea Slugs that reared thirty times the usable ADAM when buried deep in their hosts bellies. It was said she loved them, thought of them as her own children, but they still kept mysteriously disappearing. Fontaine, ever the opportunist, offered to help. (ADAM slicked a lot of palms and he knew a money making idea when he saw it.) His Orphanages began to pop up all over Rapture and there were no more babies left in bins.

 

Even when the trend of only having baby girls ended, there were still bastard boys to make disappear. The lower class began to give up their sons out of hopeful love so that they could have safety, a better education, and a brighter future than the poor could have ever hoped for.

 

-

 

_"The Little Brother's Orphanage: In troubled times, give your little boy the life that he deserves. Boarding and education free of charge! After all, children **are** the future of Rapture."_

― _Public address advertisement_

 

-

 

With the Little Boys pumping out ADAM like crazy, it became more available to the masses. And like with any drug, it began to ravage those who abused it. There was a Plasmid for everything,, a super power for the every day. Electrobolt for when you were feeling sharp, Incinerate for when you wanted things hot, Winter Blast for your enemies, Telekenisis for your friends, or Security Bullseye for when you needed something you didn't have the money for. With the plethora of powers available, ADAM became in high demand. With no one allowed to leave Rapture, it became a concentrated den of iniquity and the addiction rate shot high.

 

-

 

_"Plasmids changed everything. They destroyed our bodies, our minds; we couldn't handle it. Best friends butchering one another, babies strangled in cribs... the whole city went to Hell."  
―Atlas _

 

-

 

When ever-the-hero Andrew Ryan declared Fontaine a bastard and a villain, the Orphanages were shut down and the boys were put on the streets with no one to take care of them. With the demand for ADAM outweighing what the Little Brothers could produce, ADAM began to be extracted from corpses, and the Little Brothers were the best at sniffing out the biggest sources. But many boys were killed – ripped to pieces by addicts or abducted to be slowly sucked dry.

 

So Big Daddies were created, and for a while that worked. Bulky, half-human monsters who defended Little Brothers when they were threatened by otherwise treated them like “potted plants” (as the scientists wrote in their notes). They were dubbed the “Alpha Series” and were considered a failure for their difficulty to “Pair Bond” with the Little Brothers and their terrible function of slipping into a coma when too far from them.

 

Before Rapture fell to pieces, there was a secret project put into play with the help of private funding. The blueprints from Atlas's “Ace in the Hole” were taken and amplified. A new breed of Big Daddies were forged from abducted citizens without the hang ups of mental illness that the subjects of the Alpha Series had. The first few dozen specimens were useless, no more than fried hunks of meat by the end, but about a dozen survived and cooked nicely in their pods in hopes of one day being brought before Ryan as a better species of Big Daddies. The Beta Series – their father/son bonds morphed to become something more like human love, their single-use of Little Brothers lessened, no dive suits required, and all with the goal to be more easily made so that there could be one for every Little Brother out there.

 

The Beta Series were genetically altered to have a full range of knowledge on weapons available in Rapture and those that could be made with a little effort. They had the stability to use a variety Plasmids, even the potential for _every_ Plasmid, and all pre-injected to be used upon awakening. (Even Tenenbaum's experimental Plasmid to “save” Little Brothers so that ADAM could be processed safely without killing the hosts.) In a discarded journal spread out on the floor of the raided lab, the term _super human_ was used several times. Extra durable flesh, fast healing, speed, and super strength to wield the drill guns that the Alpha Series of Big Daddies had used. They were humanoid, keeping their original features, but the pump of steroids and toxic chemicals turned their skin the color of the sharks that circled outside the windows and bulked them up to almost two feet taller than their original size. Their arms and legs bulged, their chests barreled, but the scientists managed to make them proportionate to soothe the public's fear of them being monsters.

 

As Rapture went to hell with the Civil War and the fall of those greedy dictators, the Beta Series slept deep within the city. While Splicers reigned supreme and those humans too weak to fight fell, Little Brothers skittered over the city and sucked up the ADAM from fallen bodies.

 

Then a beautiful young woman came to the city. Raven hair, porcelain skin, and the power to rip open time. _Elizabeth._ As she depared Rapture she released a wave of pure energy – a ripple, a pulse that tore through the city and triggered a reaction in the machines that kicked off the Beta Series activation sequence. They emerged, one by one, confused and scared and desperately needing a charge. As they spread throughout the city some perished in the uncertainty but the others learned quickly and armed up. As the whispers of _Jack_ and _Atlas_ and _Ryan_ faded, the Beta Series silently thrived and found their places amongst the ruins of the city.

 

-

 

“ _If Utopia is not a place, but a people, then we must choose carefully, for the world is about to change, and in our story, Rapture was just the beginning.”_

― _Eleanor Lamb_

 

-

 

Those Little Brothers that didn't have an Alpha Series Big Daddy to watch over them gladly accepted the Beta Series, bonding instantly and gleefully. They became the only pure life of the city – giggling and roaming the halls, climbing in the pipes in the walls, gathering ADAM and enjoying the company of their Big Daddies. They aged very slowly and with the ADAM pumping through them almost exclusively they had all but stopped, forever cursed with youth and innocence. Growing up in the shadows of their girl counterparts, told from their birth that they weren't pretty or enough of a novelty to be kept by their birth parents, some Little Brothers developed feminine complexes. They wore skirts and tiny heels, ribbons and bows, lace and sparkles and even some play jewelry when they were feeling playful. They wanted to be beautiful, to be desired, and the only people they had left to impress were their Daddies.

 

A few stood out among the group of Little Boys. They had grown older, no longer children, but they were small and almost angelic compared to the monsters that lived within Rapture.

 

Ray – a boy as shy and sweet as his name lived behind the thickest wall behind the Farmer's Market. But he was never seen among the fairy lights and half-broken stalls, no. He was a delicate creature, too good for this world, and he was only ever spotted from just behind the massive form of his Big Daddy. _Ryan_. The name was whimpered and called before Ray ever stepped foot out of his secure alcove. And the Daddy would always come, ready to serve his Little Boy however he needed. This "Ryan" was terrifying to behold – wide shoulders, a strong jaw, thin plated armor across his thick chest that stopped any bullet without a sweat, and his preferred method of searing enemies alive. He was merciless, a terror, and all fled before him for his dedication to his Little Brother was almost manic. One of the things that made him such a fearsome giant was his gurtled battle cry. His vocal chords had been nicked during his conversion and even with his quick healing words came with great difficulty. Even prone to rage, one whiff of his Little Boy's scent and he was as docile as a newborn kitten. Sometimes the pair could be seen high up in places Splicer's couldn't reach, the Daddy curled around his boy's feet like a sleeping lion as they enjoyed the aquatic view of the many fish that swam outside the window.

 

There was an abandoned Little Brother – a double orphan – who darted amongst the brush in Arcadia (the source of all oxygen in Rapture). He was thin as a whip with wild hair and gangly limbs, and he made adorable bird-like noises when he was excited or scared. He hid nervously within the experimental forest, ducking into the flower beds and up into the trees in an effort to stay away from the ADAM hungry splicers. Forgotten Gavin, his Big Daddy long dead. He was a survivor, a quick learner and he knew how to stay away from danger. He was looking, always looking, but there was no Daddy for him to cling to. He cooed and whined into the vents, begging for a response, but there was none. His hovel was protected, as with most Little Brothers, but without a Daddy to enforce it he relied on his stolen rivet gun to lay traps all around the entrance and any possible weaknesses in the walls. It was a lonely existence, a scary one, and he left his home every day knowing that it could be his last. But he continued to hunt for ADAM and, in the same vein, look for a possible Daddy to love him.

 

The Splicers were disgusting, filthy creatures and their talk was the embodiment of crude, but even they could appreciate loveliness. Up high in Olympus Heights, where the squalor and wreckage hadn't touched, there lived the most beautiful of the Little Boys. _Michael_. He was the desire of all those who could remember what love felt like – ivory skin, angel kisses all over his cheeks, fluffy curls, and always with stockings over his long legs to tempt even the most twisted mind. He was a giggly, beautiful Little Boy and so _bold_. He was fearless, chock full of confidence, and with good reason.

 

His Big Daddy – Geoff – was the most advanced of the Beta Series. He had murdered Michael's previous Big Daddy to claim him as his own. He wasn't jealous, he was _wanting_ . He'd swept the Little Boy into his arms and had kissed him full on the mouth with Alpha Series model barely cold on the ground not ten feet away. Michael had been smitten by the Daddy's strength and desire and he'd fallen in love where only seconds before he had been terrified. His new Daddy was _hulking_ but affectionate, stalwart in his need to protect his new Little Brother, and he was much more articulate than the usual Daddy. Michael was thrilled with this new level of company and they became the perfect pair, one of the most feared in the city.

 

With the dictators of Rapture merely ghosts that lived in the audio logs that were scattered around the city, the new power became the Big Daddies. ADAM was collected from swollen bodies and without the tech filtering system the Little Brothers merely injected themselves, beautiful bodies cooking and cleaning up all that lovely juice to make it usable once more. They would grow fat and full from it, glowing like angels, shamelessly whimpering for their Daddies to help them.

 

Poor Gavin would have to painfully harvest it himself with sharp needles, and would often hurt himself. Eventually he grew weakened because he just _couldn't_ do it. He needed ADAM to live, to function, but it hurt so badly without the proper Plasmid to “save” himself.

 

But the other Daddies so safely and sweetly released their Little Boys from the pressure, milking them of the ADAM with tender touches. And their boys were always so _grateful_ afterwards, showing their Daddies just how much with their lush mouths or slicked holes.

 

They lived their lives as best they could, as they knew how. They didn't know it yet but they were waiting on something, a second “Ace in the Hole”, one that was activated too late to be of any use to the fallen Atlas but would soon be of great help to them.

  
 _He_ was coming, and then all would be in balance.

 


	2. Damaged Goods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan is the beta of the Beta Series, all the mistakes they could have made were made on him. His emotional range was shot, his memories were foggy, his vocal chords were clipped or at least roughened.
> 
> Ray is the plainest of the Little Brothers, so meek and shy compared to the rest. He knows he's not the prettiest, but he has a lot to give. 
> 
> They love each other anyway. Forever.

**The stronger a Little Brother's eyes glow, the closer he is to being full up of ADAM and ready to suck dry**

**Also -[the song Michael dances to](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq-gALidMMk)**

**Comments make the world go 'round!**  
 

* * *

 

 

Ray woke up to the leisure pace of the rides, flowing in and out of consciousness with liquid ease. He cooed his guardian's name but the cold skid of the sheets under his lazy, wandering hands told him the man wasn't there. He slowly opened his eyes after an hour of drifting and found himself indeed alone.

 

His room was buried deep inside the wall at the farthest side of the Farmer's Market, an alcove he'd found with only two ways in. There was a hole in the wall, a vent only he or those like him could use, and a room just outside of his own. That room was sealed off except for a nearly impenetrable steel door with only a rolling handle as access. Only his Big Daddy was strong enough to open it. No Splicer had the muscle and no common Alpha Series had the coordination. And even if they could, they would have to figure out which panel of the wall gave way to the platform above his room. Close to that platform was a fat slice of glass that let in the blue glow of the ocean, fish and all manner of aquatic life darting by. It was the only light source besides a small lamp in the corner that was perpetually off unless Ryan insisted.

 

Ray yawned and sat up, sheets pooling around his hips. The blankets, the pillows, even the few decorations he had were all varying shades of blue. They all reminded him of the tranquil ocean and his guardian's eyes. He liked to wrap himself up in them like a cocoon, a shield. They smelled like gun oil and the blood red flowers that grew near some of the doorways in the market. Fleshy, thick petals and a tight core that gave off the most enticing scent. He liked to clip them and soak them in hot water with honey until it was fragrant enough to bottle. The self made perfume could be spread along his wrists and throat and it drew Ryan's mouth like ambrosia. Ray would giggle as his guardian suckled at the tasty flesh until it bruised.

 

His bed was a simple mattress piled high with the softest blankets he'd been able to find and he was able to crawl straight off it and onto the floor. He eventually rose to his feet and got to his plain desk, sitting down on the rolling stool there. Its surface full of knickknacks and photos, little electronic pieces that he and his Daddy liked to play with and fit together to make new things. A needle and thread, a bottle of his rose mixture, even film for his camera that seemed to run on magic in the way it spat out pictures just seconds after being taken. Those kind of pictures were taped up in several places on his walls – pretty parts of Rapture and mangled Splicers alike hovering above his head as he slept and went about his day.

 

Ray cracked another yawn and peered at the filthy mirror that was propped up on the desk. It was a piece he'd found among the wreckage of a specialty store and he'd felt connected to it. There were burnt, permanent streaks across the shining surface and it sliced all reflections up into thin, unfair portions. It fit him perfectly along with the shadowed room.

 

He pulled an outfit out of a drawer and began to get dressed. Long socks were rolled up his legs. The sparse hair there was soft and tickled his fingers as he covered himself up from toe to high on his thighs, tiny white bows dotting along the top. Matching panties were tugged up past them and he tucked himself inside with practiced hands. They were simple, cottony, and were one of his favorite pairs. A loose bubble skirt was pulled up next and zipped securely, the material the color of his favored flowers and silky as it touched his skin. Ray smoothed it out before he found a shirt to go with it – long sleeved, coal black, all loose at the neck to show off his collarbones. Turning back to the mirror, the boy admired the little white stitched _x_ 's along the collar and sleeve cuffs.

 

Ray hummed tunelessly and plucked up a thin, black leather choker off the desk. He put it around his neck and he buckled it comfortably. It was fiddled with but soon found a nice place to sit at the crest of his throat. Fingers raked through his hair in an attempt to smooth it down and it worked, to a degree. But the moment he slid his thick framed on he flinched and looked away. The shadowed room, the damaged mirror – they were all illusions to keep him from seeing himself. He had no discouraging scars, birthmark, no bulbous features. He was just ugly. Ugly in comparison to the other Little Brothers he sometimes saw running around Rapture. He didn't keep his hair as long and his skin was no where near as perfect as the others he'd seen, his nose too squishy and his eyes too small. He wasn't as polished as his brethren so he stayed away from them despite how much Ryan encouraged him to socialize. He didn't feel like one of them and if he could not be beautiful then he would live in the darkness.

 

His Big Daddy was the only company he needed anyway.

 

Ray caught a glimpse of himself again but he lingered and leaned forward. His eyes were glowing faintly. He needed more ADAM. He'd put it off much too long. His hermit lifestyle didn't quite fit with what he _needed_ to do. Daddies needed both ADAM and Eve to keep their power at its fullest. Eve could be obtained, no problem, but the rich red drug only was growing rare but could easily be found in the dead bodies of the disgusting Splicers that scrambled all over the city.

 

It was the job of the Little Brother to suck up the rotting ADAM and then pour it into their lithe bodies from the needle or straight down their throats, the Sea Slug buried in their little bellies soaking it up from their veins or tummies and filtering it into something potent once more. And then their kind, merciful Daddies would give them special touches and sap out all the excess so their boys were comfortable and empty. All so they could be filled again and continue to feed clean, pure ADAM to their loving Daddies.

 

Ray stood up and gave a lengthy stretch before looking around for his shoes. He pouted when he remembered that he'd ruined his nice white tennis shoes with Splicer blood the other day on a fruitless trip out into the city. He needed new ones, badly, because he was out of spares.

 

His ADAM extractor was leaning against the wall and he picked it up, needle safely holstered until he pulled the trigger. The camera on the desk was taken up and attached to the sewn-in belt loop on his skirt. He jumped up into the vent and started crawling through the smooth, bronze tunnel system. It was an impossible fit for a fat, decrepit Splicer but perfect for him. He slid easily along polished metal, ADAM gun clinking against it and skirt skidding silently.

 

Ray popped his head out the other side but kept as hidden as he could for fear of being seen. This tunnel went straight to the back of the Farmer's Market where a lot of the vegetables had become over grown and taken over the stalls. Box lanterns and strings of lights lit up the area and he didn't see anyone.

 

“Ryan?” Ray whimpered, eyes dancing nervously over every crevice that could hide a Splicer. The boy hated being away from his Big Daddy for any lengthy period of time. He had durability, quick healing, but there was no real strength in his limbs. He could barely heft himself out of the tunnel and onto the floor without falling into a graceless heap. He whined and rubbed his lower back from the pang of pain that shot through him. He hurried to get up and brushed the dust off his socks and skirt before darting behind one of the broken down stalls. Dark eyes closed and he waited, quietly listening and casting out his senses.

 

There was a pulse, faint at first and then escalating to a throb. A drill shrilled down the left hallway followed by a chorus of screams. _Ryan_.

 

Ray crept toward it but ducked down behind a crumbling pillar. He patiently waited until the yelling and gunshots quieted down. Once he was sure he was alone, he stood up. The main room was empty, just spatters of blood and broken glass, but there was a side door that looked as if it'd been barred. It was the front of a store that had long lost its sign. Ray padded across the floor and didn't really mind when his socks got damp.

 

It was some kind shoe store but it was half burnt up and now coated with a fine spray of blood. Four dead, gaping-chest Splicers laid like rag dolls. His Big Daddy was kneeling near some shelves with hunched shoulders, boxes clattering before being tossed away. The man's hulking body was still glowing from the protective shell Plasmid he'd placed around him. The drill extension weapon had been set aside. Muddy blood dripped from the thick spiral.

 

Ray chewed his lip and nervously looked over his Big Daddy. “Ryan? Are you okay?”

 

Ryan's head picked up and turned on his knees to face him, a box clutched between his big hands. One came up and quickly raked back his face mask and hood. As always, Ray was struck by how handsome his guardian was. There was a grey tint to his skin but through the treatments his hair had kept it's golden color. His throat, though, had taken some damage from sloppy hands. Whatever they had injected into his poor Daddy's to bestow night vision and sharper sight had eaten a white strip in his right eye. It gave him a rough edge but Ray knew that it was all a show.

 

It was proven by the box Ryan held out for him. Ray came up and peered into it. They were pristine Mary Janes. Shining leather with a small silver buckle and clunky heels.

 

“Daddy,” Ray breathed, a big smile breaking over his face, “F-For me?”

 

Ryan nodded and shed his gloves before he gently picked the shoes out of the box. Ray put a hand on his Daddy's massive shoulder and offered his sock-clad foot. His warm hand rubbed all along his calf while the other eased the first shoe on. A worshipful kiss was placed upon his knee and Ray sighed in delight. The shoe was carefully buckled and as he rolled his ankle he found it fit very nicely.

 

“They're perfect,” the boy declared, clutching the other's shoulders as he switched feet. Another kiss was placed on his other knee. “You're so good to me.”

 

Once they were secure Ray giggled and walked around, testing them out. He gained a little height but didn't wobble at all thanks to the thickness in the heels. They blended in well to his socks and would match everything else he had so well. He circled back and bent at the waist to brush his nose against Ryan's. “I love them.”

 

Ryan smiled brightly, laugh lines crinkling deeply beside his scarred eye. “Ray.”

 

His name was rough and the boy's heart melted. It was so difficult for his Daddy to talk and every word he did utter seemed to only be for him.

 

“You found me shoes, and an angel.”

 

Ray turned on his heels and eyed the headless corpse farthest from them. He could smell the ADAM in the air, could see it glowing in the body's stomach. He sauntered over with purpose and unhooked his camera from his hip, flipping it open with ease and taking aim. Once he found a good angle he snapped a pic. The machine whirred before it slowly slid out the glossy picture. Ray examined it closely and deemed it worthy. “Daddy?”

 

With some loud clambering, Ryan came over and knelt by his side again. The camera and picture were tucked away into one of the many pockets in his guardian's pants. “Give me a second.”

 

Ray dropped down beside the body and brought up his extractor, squeezing the trigger so the long needle popped out. It was razor sharp and caught the light, empty canister attached to the thickest part of the gun and ready to take up whatever the body had to give.

 

“Yes, it's right here.” Ray shoved the clothing away to reveal the sweet spot rest at the crest of its gut. “Do you see it sparkling, Daddy?” He patted the belly before he positioned the needle right above it. “Don't worry, sweet angel...I'll make good use of your wings.”

 

~*~

 

They lounged together in one of the dome cielinged rooms up on an inaccessible second floor. The stairs had long since rotted away but Ryan could climb walls with ease. They'd found a wide love-seat with all its cushion intact and had settled together in it along with a long, squishy stool for Ray to rest his feet on. Beside them was a high glass wall that showed off the stretch of other parts of the city and the glorious ocean herself. All manner of fish swam by – the Little Brother laughing and pointing out sharks, squid, and anything he couldn't put a name to so his Daddy could fill in.

 

“What's that one, Ryan?”

 

“Larval squid.”

 

“But I can see through it! I can see it's inner stuff!”

 

“ 'Sposed to.”

 

“What about that one? I can see through it's skin too!”

 

“Cow fish.”

 

“Now you're just makin' stuff up.”

 

Ray nibbled delicately at a bar of chocolate from his secret stash. It was milky sweet on his tongue though he didn't necessarily need to eat. They had all evolved to live on the hot thrum of ADAM to survive but some food just tasted good. He broke off a tiny piece and offered it to Ryan with a cheerful smile. His guardian obediently opened his mouth and let the chocolate be placed on his tongue. “It's so nice, isn't it? You bring me such nice things.”

 

Ryan moaned and clumsily rubbed his face in the boy's hair, glad to have set aside his mask to have full access to the fragrant skin. Ray kept nibbling at his candy while he enjoyed his guardian's snuffling affection. He watched all the quick fish and enjoyed the glimmer of light in the water, sinking deep into the man's lap and enjoying the heat that radiated off his chest. Large, bare hands started to drift from their resting place on his arms. They rubbed over his shoulders and then down, grazing his chest and tummy before teasing at the edge of his shirt. Ray giggled and shifted around, cheeks pinking up as felt the first touch of skin-on-skin.

 

The tinkling laughter turned into a surprised moan as Ryan's hands snuck up under the bottom. Those fingers were so warm from the constant pulse of all those drugs keeping his Daddy alive and the firey Plasmid he favored. Chapped lips burrowed up behind his ear and mouthed wetly at the skin, hands spreading out and nearly covering all of Ray's quivering stomach. The boy's breath started to noticeably pick up as fingers dragged up to his bare chest, hands cupping the soft skin just under the stiffening peaks of his nipples. He was so skinny that there was no plush flesh to even pretend he had the lovely breasts he saw so proudly displayed on all the posters in the city. Ray knew he was a boy, that he wasn't supposed to have those gifts, but they were such beautiful ladies and he suddenly wished that he was like them so he could give Ryan something so lush to caress. Instead he could only offer his flat chest.

 

In his before-life, when he was a nobody instead of a beloved Big Daddy, Ryan must have had a pretty gal with soft tits to play with like this.

 

Ryan's knuckles brushed his nipples before his fingers caught them so gently, calloused skin rolling the tips until they were hard. Ray's back bowed and he laid his head on his guardian's shoulder, puffing out soft little breaths as the sensation trickled through him. His hair was peppered with kisses and Ryan hummed as he played with the nubs. They grew hot and tingly under the attention, a beautiful flush taking over the boy's cheeks and down his throat to disappear under his shirt.

 

“Daddy, you're making me all _hard_ ,” Ray whined, thighs shifting restlessly as his cocklet started to push insistently against his panties. Ryan's palms slid back down his smooth belly and fanned across his skirt, loose material bunching over the crush of his fingers. “Making me _hot_. Don't, w-we're outside.”

 

Ryan made a low shushing noise as his fingers curled under the edge of the skirt and flipped it up. Ray squeaked and tried to sit up but a big hand laid on his stomach, easing him back down into his Daddy's lap. His nervous squirming gradually worked itself out. He watched the cotton panties start to tent as he shamefully enjoyed the brush of cold air and the slow drag of Ryan's fingers over his twitching thighs.

 

“Not out here,” Ray begged, mouth dropping open when his Big Daddy's thick fingers curled in the side of his panties and tugged at them until the line of his hip was exposed. His cock was a clear outline against the cotton and the hard flesh started to show as the material was played with. A clambering noise way below them made him whimper in fear. He turned and straddled Ryan's lap, wrapping his skinny arms around his shoulders and burying his face in his neck. He hid his lustful flesh and blushing cheeks. “Please, Ryan, anyone can see.”

 

Ryan shook his head but held his Little Boy close, one hand cupped under his thigh while the other cradled the nape of his neck. He wet his lips and cleared his throat, powering through the rough scratch that persistently sat just below his skin to keep him from articulating just how much he adored the boy in his arms. “No one. Just me.”

 

Ray sniffled and the older man's heart throbbed painfully. He hadn't meant to push his shy Little Boy so hard and he regretted it with everything he was. He let Ray hide himself in his much bigger body, curling so tight there wasn't an inch of air between them.

 

“ 'M here,” he grunted out, the syllables sticking hard. Ryan looked out at the ruin of the room and his ears could pick up the far off skittering of Splicers. The beasts were probably trying to think of a way up onto this floor to get at his Little Boy, to put their filthy hands all over him and rip the ADAM right out of his tiny body. Ray had every reason to fear being exposed in such a place and he scolded himself for being so bold with his love, his lifeblood, his most treasured.

 

“Never leave you,” Ryan swore hoarsely.

~*~

 

By the time they made it back to the alcove the boy was in much better shape, his happy demeanor returning as he got back in familiar surroundings. He played around with the extractor gun for a minute before he took it over to a small chest. The full ADAM canister was removed and it sat precariously on an old bookshelf until a cap was found for it within the chest, the rest of the gun propped up on the wall. An empty Hypo was brought out as well. Ray hummed happily as as he filled the Hype up with swirling, glowing ADAM.

 

Ryan shed his weapons – the drill extension, the rivet gun, a shotgun. The clothing came next with its snaps and clasps - mask and hood, his breast plate, and shoulder guards. He didn't need a lot of bodily protection with his shield Plasmid but it never hurt to have a little more. He slowly stretched his arms up above his head, neck and shoulders rolling as his back arched. He let out a gutterled sound and then slumped. He knew what happened to him, he knew he'd been _created_ to be a Big Daddy. He'd been homeless, not an idiot, a well read out-of-work teacher (and sometimes with, he thought, a _wife_ ). He'd been genetically altered and predisposed to be a protector of the Little Brothers. He'd been designed not to feel pain or any smaller, distracting emotions. He could still remember the idea of them – confusion, discomfort, anxiety – but he was ruled by the more important ones – rage and happiness and all their spectrums. Ray was his world and his compass only pointed to him, to making him happy. But two days without a proper drop of ADAM and he could feel some fatigue creeping up on him. He would need to rest.

 

“Ryan?”

 

Ryan smiled to himself and turned towards the bed. He'd convinced his Little Boy to call him by his real name, _Daddy_ only coming out when Ray was too afraid or uncomfortable or even giddy to remember what the man preferred. All fleeting thoughts of his old life faded to ash at the sight that greeted him.

 

Ray was on knees upon the middle of the bed. The full and ready Hypo was laying beside him along with the remaining, sealed canister of ADAM. The boy bent over and braced himself on one elbow while the other hand reached back and pulled up his skirt to get it out of the way. There was a soft splay of flesh behind the bunched line of his thigh high and the hem of his panties. The boy raised his head and flashed him a bright smile. “Do you want to do it, Rye?”

 

Ryan made a high, happy sound and started toward him.

 

“Shoes,” Ray pouted, head starting to droop. “Don't get our bed dirty.”

 

The man tried not to trip over his own feet as he yanked hastily at the laces before kicking off his boots. He slid down into the bed and took up the Hypo. His fingers were much more practiced and steady as he thumbed back the line of those cute panties. A tight cheek was revealed to him and he cooed. He was confidant he wouldn't hurt him with all those altered cells moving quick to fix his babe's skin.

 

“Here,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the soft skin. “Now?”

 

“Yes, please,” Ray replied eagerly.

 

The needle slid inside the fleshy cheek without an ounce of resistance. Ryan knew just how deep to go, how to angle the needle – he'd done it a hundred times before. He felt the slight drag that told him he'd found the sweet spot, the fat of his artery. His Little Boy stayed still and kept his skirt hiked up but there was a soft intake of breath. The long line of his back curved in pure reaction as the first drops of ADAM started flowing into him, Ryan's thumb so careful in its compression on the plunger.

 

“Slow, please,” Ray begged, the corner of his lip caught between his tiny teeth. The first thick rush of the drug was like a wash of the melted chocolate he liked so much – rich, smooth, filling up the empty cracks inside him until he was all rounded out. It was the greatest rush of pleasure, second only to how he felt with his protector's cock sliding up so deep inside him.

 

“Daddy,” he panted on the tail end of a whine. As the Hypo crept ever closer to empty, red veins started to rise up all over his skin. ADAM began to seep into his arteries, his tissue, all up through his muscle – it all swelled with the delicious drug. His insides were painted red and the hungry Sea Slug in his belly was writhing happily. It would take an hour for all the ADAM to get sucked up into the parasite.

 

Ryan's loving coos fell over the shivering body. “Good boy.”

 

Ray's eyes fluttered open and they glowed much more brightly than before. The thickest of the rush hit him and he moaned shakily, head dropping down onto the bed as he slowly pushed his ass up in a request for more. His Daddy's big hand massaged at his cheeks, fingers long to cover both quite well. His shirt fell down the curve of his back and puddled around his shoulders, showing off even more skin for Ryan to pant over.

 

Once the Hypo was empty, Ryan refilled it to empty the canister and poured the rest of the ADAM into his Little Boy. Ray thanked him with breathless wonder and pleaded for every drop, the man's name falling from his lips over and over as the ethereal glow in his eyes increased.

 

With all the collected ADAM churning in his Little Boy's body, Ryan took the empty Hypo and canister and pushed them the bed to be dealt with later. Ray collapsed on the bed, exhausted, and puffed cutely into the pillows. Ryan spooned up behind him with comforting little hums and grunts. He worked a hand under the boy's shirt and pet along his belly. It would start to bulge as his magnificent Little Boy started really cooking up their precious ADAM. He gently prodded the skin and peeked around to get a look at Ray's eyes, how they glowed. He was almost ready to be safely harvested, just another injection or two. Ryan was frustrated that he couldn't express his gratitude or love with a bout of poetic words so he let his touch convey what he could not.

 

Ryan pressed a damp kiss on the boy's neck. “Beautiful.”

 

Ray raised a heavy hand and reached back to pet through the man's blonde hair. They simply laid there and breathed together for a few minutes while the blue glow of the ocean bathed them. Though cool and dark, this room was their sanctuary. The dangerous city around them meant nothing while they were wrapped up in each other's arms.

 

Fingers left his hair. One of Ryan's hands was taken and tugged it down until it slipped under his skirt. He man caught on and curled his fingers under the delicate elastic strip to touch velvety skin

 

“Can we do it now, Daddy?” Ray asked meekly, pushing at his wrist until the panties were bunched under the curve of his ass. “Now that we're alone?”

 

“Yes,” Ryan hissed. He turned the boy's head with such little effort, power eclipsing Ray as he forced his head to crane back so their mouths could meet. “My Little Boy.”

 

~*~

 

Just one more batch of ADAM, that's all Ray needed to become full enough for his Daddy to extract. With the need to please overruling his usual caution, he went with Ryan out farther out than normal. His Daddy promised to protect him, always, but only as long as he stayed close. Hot on the trail of a ADAM-riddled body, Ray disobeyed his Daddy for the first time and went off.

 

A thick batch of Splicers had been hot on their tail (along with a few of those damn security bots) and Ryan had busted his way into one of the offices. He spotted another exit that would take them to an empty tunnel with a vent that his Little Boy could go through while he cleared the path. The man started hauling a wide, heavy stone statue in front of the door and grunted for Ray to take cover. Receiving no response, he looked up to find that the other had run off. Ryan redoubled his efforts to block the door.

 

Ray, having spot no immediate enemies, followed his nose and ran to the door on the other side of the room. It was an operating space, a show room of sorts with one full glass wall and a myriad of surgery tools. There was a gurney in the middle of the room where an unfortunate soul had been skewered through the face. The corpse was limp and spreadeagled so the limbs hung uselessly over the sides, but there was a bright glow to it.

 

“You were hiding,” Ray giggled with a sharp _snick_ as he popped out the needle of his extractor. “But I found you.”

 

This _angel_ was practically brimming. Ray crawled up onto the gurney and straddled the corpse, barely taking the time to run his hand down the chest to draw the ADAM to the belly before he shoved the needle inside. “You little over-eater. A piggy angel – you gorged yourself, silly. Your wings couldn't keep you up anymore. Don't worry. I'll make much better use of them.”

 

The canister filled quickly and Ray frowned deeply when he realized there was more left within the body. He looked between the full extractor and then back at small wound he'd made. He hadn't brought a second canister and he didn't want even one drop to go to waste. He could still hear his Daddy moving the statue, the desperate clawing of the Splicers – he refused to let them have any leftovers. This angel's guts belonged to _them_ , not the monsters.

 

Ray detached the canister and cradled it between his palms, the extractor laid across the body's chest to be used again once he was done. The ADAM was practically pulsing within the glass, licking at the rim and looking so much cherry juice. He wet his lips and sniffed at it, chirping cheerfully when it was just as spicy and sweet as he remembered. Like the cinnamon candies he found in the Farmer's Market. It had been a long time since he'd taken in ADAM like this. Usually he preferred it injected by his Daddy so they could kiss and have special cuddles afterward.

 

He tilted his head back and started to drink it down. It was watery and smooth, not nearly as thick as the posters made it look, but maybe that was just because it came from a rotting corpse. But there was no decay on the silky nectar that slid past his tongue and straight down into his belly. He moaned around every wet gulp, a thin stream of glowing liquid escaping past the seal of his lips and trailing down his chin. It soaked into his shirt and trickled over his skin. The drug was hypnotic. His mind swiped clean of all thoughts, all worries, and there was just the bottle in front of him. He suckled noisily from the lip and rolled his head back more to coax it all out. Heat puddled between his thighs and rose up through his chest, curling around his lungs and clamping on his stomach. There was no sweet burn when injected like this, only a pleasurable sensation of being filled up from the bottom of his feet up until his very hair felt chock full of ADAM. It was one of the few times he could feel the slug in his belly and he could imagine it was as happy as he was in being bathed in the desired drug.

 

Ray only stopped when there were barely any dregs left. He sighed and licked his lips to catch any stray drop. There were a few moments of content before the overwhelming _stuffed_ feeling hit him. His belly had distended noticeably and he whined when he saw it, afraid he'd hurt himself. His hands started to shake and the canister nearly dropped to the floor to shatter. He struggled to get it back in the gun and then he carelessly shoved the needle back into the body. His pheromones, his very existence, called to the ADAM and it came easily to fill up the canister once more. The extractor was sat aside and out of the way so he could try and get up.

 

_Now I'm the over eater._

 

A piercing cry filled the room as Ray found his body useless and simply fell from the gurney, landing with a fleshy _smack_ on the tiled floor. He jarred himself, shoulder and thigh taking the brunt of the fall. There was a sting then a hard throb that he felt through his whole form. He clutched his full stomach and tried not to shake apart. The only thing that seemed to hold him together was the glue of the drug. He'd taken too much too quickly. He was fit to burst any second. He tried to stand up but it was useless and he could barely manage to sit up. Fingers tried to rub the swollen flesh but a strained moan broke out from between his lips. Veins glowed red and fat, eyes so bright they were like spotlights.

 

Ryan's name was broken and weak and didn't make it past the doorway. A sudden, heavy thud on glass made him jerk his head around. Pure terror struck his face when he saw the Splicer pressed against the clear walls. There were at least six more running up the hall to join it. They were all mangled, hideous, deformed from their ADAM addiction. They wielded pistols and wrenches and savage fingers that made him tremble in fear. He turned away from the wall and wrapped an arm around his stomach as he tried to work up the voice to yell for his Big Daddy.

 

A hulking figure appeared in the doorway.

 

“Daddy?” Ray gasped in relief when he recognized the outline, light shining behind the tall man. He dragged himself onto his hands and knees in a sluggish attempt to crawl towards Ryan. He felt ballooned and he could barely manage to get high enough off the ground to keep his belly from dragging on the ground. A pathetic mewling came from the boy when he could barely make it a few feet before he collapsed. The Splicers against the glass started howling, palms and feet beating against the wall in an attempt to break it. Their monstrous sounds were muffled but no less menacing.

 

“Daddy...th-there was too much in that angel...” Ray reached out for him, arm almost refusing to hold his weight. “Help me? I need you to take it out.”

 

The hood was pushed back, mask following quickly to reveal the look of horror on his Big Daddy's face.

 

“Ray!” Ryan ran to him and dropped to his knees, bringing his boy up into the safe cradle of his arms. Ray pawed at his chest, lithe chest starting to really heave as the ADAM pulsed hot like blood just beneath his skin. “Not ready. Wait.”

 

The lad shook his head. “I can't wait, Rye. Pretty please, take it. I feel like I-I'm gonna' burst.”

  
Ryan's eyes shot to the wall where the Splicers were clawing to get through he glass. They were such disgusting animals as they howled and drooled for his boy's pain, for the ADAM within that was all but leaking to get out. Some were groping themselves through their dirty pants and were licking at their chops like true wolves. They called out the worse kind of obscenities and it kicked up the hottest of rages within the Big Daddy.

 

“Lemme' tear open that chest, drink right outta' his heart!”

 

“I'll fuck it outta' ya', Little Boy! Fuck it all better.”

 

“Fuck you! I'll suck the ADAM right outta' that little clit.”

 

Ryan snarled in disgust as the crass words. Ray was deaf to all but his own whines of discomfort. His boy truly was stuffed and his tiny body seemed to be on overdrive. He glowed and pulsed so beautifully within his embrace. And he was looking up to Ryan for salvation. They needed to leave so badly but he wasn't sure Ray could cling to his back with how weak he was.

 

“Daddy,” Ray sang so tenderly in his ear as the ADAM started to drown his senses, “Can you feel it? I'm glowing and it's all for you. Swelling and growing, like a good girl. I've ever wanted to be good for you.” The boy's hand slithered down so he could grind his half-hard cock into his palm through the thin barrier of his skirt. His shapely little mouth fell open in a pleased cry. The Splicers behind the wall started to _howl_ , knives scraping and chinking at the glass that separated them from the lovely sight.

 

The happy sound morphed into an uncomfortable murmur, hips shifting restlessly.

 

Ryan frowned and stroked through his hair, torn.

 

“Fix it, Mr. Haywood,” Ray whimpered feebly, fingers going limp against the man's chest as the last of his energy was sapped and his eyes reached a near nuclear glow. That name – that innocent title – hadn't been uttered since they first met when Ryan was still dripping from preservative fluid and Ray barely had any clothes covering his skinny, filthy body. He could still vividly remember gruffing out his name and watching the boy shyly look up at him, his form of a sweet sixteen year old and his mind fried out from the experimentation. The scientists had not been as kind to the Little Brothers as they had been to the Beta Series. It was hard to tell how old Ray truly was with all that ADAM pumping through him, extending his youth so that he would be the best little host he could be. (The boy could have been years older than him for all he knew, but he would guess twenty or so.) Despite being absolute strangers, Ray had offered his throat and a heavy drink of his ADAM for the obviously exhausted Big Daddy.

 

That first touch, that first caress where he'd taken the excess Adam from his Little Brother's form, had cemented their love and bond. In seconds, Ray became his whole universe.

 

Ryan cradled the boy's head in one large palm and willed himself to reach out, eyes closing only briefly before his hand began to glow. The Plasmid inside him so lovingly created by Dr. Trenebaum worked only with love, with stalwart affection, and in just moments he was seeping out all that precious but troublesome ADAM.

 

Ray's ecstatic cry echoed through the room and the Splicers outside shrieked, uselessly pawing the walls for something they could never have.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ray secluded himself for a week after that. He let Ryan sip from the ADAM brewing inside his body, laying hands on him from time to time in more ways than one, but mostly he slept and read and played with his toys. Ryan tried to sketch, a hobby he was sure he once did, but it was crude at best. They lived quietly for a few days but eventually they would have to go back out. Ryan offered to go alone and bring back a few bodies but his Little Brother refused.

“I can't be scared forever,” Ray admitted as he examined a thick potato sack he'd been contemplating turning into a doll. “Let's make a trip out of it. Let's go somewhere special!” The sack was dropped and he skittered to the bookshelves, going through them with purpose until he pulled out a few maps. He spread them out on the floor and started tracing the rail car pathways with his finger. Ryan was good at remembering what ways were open and which ones were trapped, blocked off, or downright flooded.

 

“Where can we go?” Ray nervously played with the chunky, plastic bracelet on his wrist. “It should be...special. Somewhere I haven't been before. But kind of safe?”

 

Ryan studied the map with quiet, thoughtful hums. His boy shot out a few ideas now and then but he let the Daddy mull over the images in front of him.

 

“Here.” Ryan tapped a finger on a spot on the opposite side of the map from them. The central tram was still up and running and it ran straight from where they were. It was farther than he'd ever been, per his request. The name was familiar: _Olympus Heights_. In the pamphlets he'd read it was supposed to be a high class place where the rich and powerful lived. Beautiful. Grand. Tenebaum, Cohen, Fontaine, even Dr. Yi Suchong – they'd all lived there. There had been rumors of a Sanctuary there for Little Brothers but he'd heard whispers that they had escaped to the surface world and they'd been cured by the mysterious _Jack_.

 

Ray had never given it a thought. He liked it here. Maybe he could have lived up there but his Big Daddy needed him. He would never leave Ryan's side and he didn't care if that meant living on the ocean floor for the rest of eternity.

 

“There?” Ray confirmed, touching the little marker.

 

Ryan nodded quickly. “Safest.”

 

His dark brows furrowed. “Really? Why?”

 

The man's smile stretched his cheeks. “Friend.”

 

~*~

 

Ryan cleared a path for them to the tram and the ride was easy. Ray was lulled into complacency by the gentle motions it produced and he napped briefly against his Daddy's shoulder. They arrived fairly quick considering they had to stretch across the city. When the doors opened, Ray was instantly stunned. Ryan did a sweep of the room but there was nothing, at least not yet. They slowly explored the place and found it strangely Splicer-free. There were a lot of cams and waiting Security Bots but they weren't hard to duck around. Ray held his guardian's hand and walked with a gaping mouth, staring in awe at he high ceilings and the beautiful shades of gold everything seemed to be painted in. Though a lot of it was wrecked from Splicer filth, a lot of the upper levels seemed to be in good condition.

 

“This is where the Civil War started,” Ray awed as they passed a wall of ratty propaganda wallpapers. “I know it was years ago, but...Rye, I can feel it. So many people died here.”

 

Ryan hushed him from the morbid thoughts and edged him toward a hallway. The boy bulked. He only had his ADAM extractor as a weapon and he couldn't defend himself well. “Search. Toys. Be back.” His voice cracked on the last word and he grimaced so Ray just nodded, not wanting his Daddy to overexert himself. Ryan took off the other way with a silent promise to be back, putting on his mask and hood, and the boy only had to take three steps into the hall before he realized there was indeed a gift shop.

 

This was the hallway that led to the tram exit for Athena's Glory, a large apartment complex that made up the glory of Olympus Heights. If this was the gift shop before the train, there had to be great stuff inside!

 

He raced into it and quietly squealed to himself when he saw the selection of little robot toys on the nearest shelf. He giggled over them until he found a favorite, which got stuffed into his small side bag. He passed by a discarded pile of teddy bears but lucked into some batteries and candy. There were fake guns as well and he sat his extractor aside to pluck it up. He put the butt to his shoulder and aimed down the plastic site, finger rubbing along the unmovable trigger as he made tiny _pop_ noises like he was actually shooting. He put it aside when a bookshelf caught his eye. Ray knelt down in front of it and started skimming the spines. He saw familiar titles. _Of Mice and Men_ , _Heart of Darkness_ , even some Shakespeare books that they had back at the room. He spotted one called _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ and grabbed it instantly. His Daddy loved poetic pieces like that and they didn't have this one. Maybe this was one they could read together, him perched on Ryan's lap while the gentle giant turned the pages for him. He grabbed another book about a girl named Alice and shoved them both in his bag.

 

And then Ray noticed the music. He stood up and blindly followed it, barely remembering to grab his extractor before he left. It was slow, smooth jazz with a haunting melody. It screamed of smoky bars and gin sipped from dirty glasses. Things Ray had never known but had read about in books like _The Great Gatsby_ or his shameful collection of spy novels. A trumpet section kicked in and he _had_ to know where it was coming from.

 

Ray stopped at the entrance to the exit tram that would lead to the luxurious Athena's Glory. The place had been wrecked, fallen to disarray like much of the city, but there was still a richness to it. There was a second floor above the broken down tram and the only staircase to it was smashed straight through. There was a very visible section below the only intact light in the whole area, a golden spotlight among the usual blue saturation.

 

There was someone there dancing where the light was strongest and the music played the thickest from a record player. A beautiful girl with a healthy plumpness to her limbs, fiery curls that kissed her baby face, and a hips that swayed along to the slow, sensual rhythm of the song. She was a temptress with a low-waisted, lace skirt that clung to the divets of her hips and flowed down her legs. A slit in the side showed off teasing flickers of white stockings. Her chest was flat but the close cling of her crop top hugged the subtle curve of her waist and dissolved into thin straps across her rolling shoulders. That mouth – Ray blushed so hot and covered his own when he saw it. A gorgeous cupid bow, he could see it from here. She moved with such grace, hips swaying and dipping as she rubbed her fingers through her own curls. A long pair of pearls was looped twice around her throat and she fiddled with them as she danced.

 

Though Ray was too far to see the color of her eyes properly he didn't miss the way they glowed when she opened them.

 

That was a Little Brother.  _I didn't bring my camera._

 

Ray muffled his gasp and got down on one knee to better hide himself behind the doorway. He knew his own eyes would be glowing, even if ever so faintly. That lovely woman up there was a boy, he could see it now. He'd never watched one of his kind be so...at ease, so freely displaying themselves like they didn't have a care in the world. Ray risked another glance and his heart sunk by the sheer beauty. The Little Brother up there was stunning, confidant, pale and lovely with such a pretty softness to his hips and chest.

 

Ray looked down at his stomach and pulled his shirt up, poking the flat muscle. His fingers skimmed off his ribs and he sniffled quietly. He kept looking between the two of them, touching his thighs and hair and realizing how much he was _not_ like the goddess up there.

 

When the first of the tears started to fall, Ray grabbed his gun and got up. He took off back down the hall, further on, and nearly collided with his Big Daddy at the base of the grand staircase that had greeted them when they'd first arrived.

 

Ryan steadied him before yanking off his mask. He smiled down at him real big and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Then he saw the tears and whined uncertainly like a pup. “Ray okay? Hurt?”

 

“I want to go home,” Ray huffed as he tried to wipe away his tears before his protector could see them. But Ryan wasn't stupid and he caught the boy's face in his wide palms and made him look at him, even bringing him up onto his tip toes with his grip when he tried to squirm away.

 

“Ray?” Ryan kissed at his tear streaked cheeks. “Tears. Please.”

 

“Stop it, Ryan!” Ray smacked his tiny fists against the man's barreled chest. There was little he could do to actually push him away but Ryan obeyed his wishes. “We're leaving. I don't want to be here anymore. There – there isn't anymore ADAM!” The lie was quick and his flushed cheeks proved it.

 

Ryan clicked his tongue and threw his head back towards where he came. “Friend. Come?”

 

“No!” Ray barked, stamping his foot so his clunky heel made a dull sound. “I want to go home and I want to go _now!_ ”

 

The word rang shrilly through the room and Ryan's eyes went comically wide. His Little Boy's face was all ruddy and his hands were clenched into tight fists, his entire body screaming discomfort. Ryan nodded and offered his arms, and when they were rejected he knelt down and gave his shoulder. Ray just brushed past him and headed toward the central tram.

 

Heartsick with worry, Ryan followed close behind him.

 

~*~

 

The doors to the tram had barely opened before Ray was running to the closest wall. Ryan tried to chase after him, to shout to wait, but his Little Boy was up in a vent and gone before he could do more than make a grab at him. Ray was so fast and he slipped through his fingers. Ryan leaned against the wall, palms on either side of the vent, and with words scratching so deep and painfully he could only give a long whine into the opening. It was a tragic sound usually reserved for the Alpha Series but he could do little else to call his boy back.

 

He needed to get home.

 

~*~

 

Ryan made the journey back to the room alone, running into the occasional Splicer and slowing him down. He got through the heavy metal door and bolted it shut behind him, preventing any clever monster from getting inside. The fake wall was pulled away, put back, and he dropped down from the small platform into their room. It was bathed in the light of the sea, the lamp still off. There was a lump on the bed made of a sheeted mound in varying shades of blue.

 

Ryan took off shoulder guards, his coat, his thin vest, and then pulled at his boots. They were all folded in a nice, neat pile on the desk and his shoes followed to be tucked underneath. It was done out of submissive urge to please his boy, to not make a mess. He crawled onto the bed and pulled at the sheets, forcing a laugh like he could coerce Ray with the sound alone. He nosed at what he thought was his Little Boy's hip, nipping playfully.

 

“Ray,” he urged, butting against him. He pulled hard enough at the blanket that it slipped and a pathetic little growl came from his boy. Ray sat up and smacked his head, trying to crawl away. “What's wrong?”

 

“Just don't touch me,” Ray ordered, kicking away and slapping away the grasping hands of his protector. “Get away from me! Don't look at me!”

 

“Ray!” Ryan barked, grabbing both the swatting hands and holding them as gently as he could with his superior strength. “Stop. _Please_. Talk...to me.” The last two words were strained and he tried not to cringe. “Ray. Little Boy. H-Help me, help you.”

 

Ray's angry scowl started to soften before it twisted into an anguished grimace. “I saw a Little Brother.”

 

Ryan perked up as he realized just who he could have saw. “Another?

 

“He...he was dancing,” Ray stuttered out. “He was so pretty and amazing and he looked...he looked like one of those movie girls. Right out of a magazine.”

 

An ugly sob ripped out of him and he tried to cover it up but it was too raw, too ragged. Ryan crooned to him and pet through his hair, trying to figure out what about seeing his friend's little Michael had upset him. All the angry fire inside Ray flickered out until fat tears started to roll down his cheeks, lower lip trembling as he tried to hold it back. “I-I'm so sorry.”

  
The three words were barely choked out past the rising sobs. Ryan hushed but the soothing sound cut off when his boy scrambled into his lap. Arms wrapped around his massive shoulders, thighs hugging his hips but unable to close around them. His small boy barely covered up enough of his lap for him to feel the warmth. He made a note to not take so much ADAM next time in hopes of putting some meat on his skinny boy, maybe feed him more chocolate. Ryan rubbed his hands all over Ray's back and his heart broke as he uselessly listened to his mournful sobs. He wished so desperately that the bastards who turned him into a Big Daddy had been more careful poking around inside him.

 

“I'm sorry you got such an _ugly_ Little Boy,” Ray hiccuped against his shoulder, sniffling pitifully as tears soaked into his protector's shirt. “I wasn't pretty enough for my parents to keep and all the other Brothers are pretty and I wear the clothes but I can't be like them. I-I want to so bad, and it feels good in all this soft stuff but then I look at myself – I don't know how you can stand to touch me. You deserve so much better! Why can't I just be a _girl_?”

 

Ryan whined when his boy wailed the word, clinging even tighter like he was trying to sink inside him. He grabbed him by the back of the hair and pulled his head up despite his weak protest. He took his shirt off and started wiping the wetness from sopping cheeks, grazing so carefully under his eyes to collect the little drops that clung to his dark lashes.

 

“Stop.” It was a simple command and after a little blubbering the boy managed to calm himself down to streams of silent tears. They were just as lovingly wiped away. “Look.”

 

Ray raised his eyes and blinked woefully at his guardian.

 

“My Ray,” Ryan smiled and brushed back the boy's bangs so he could see his softly glowing eyes. “Beautiful little _boy_. You...” He grit his teeth and powered through the sentence no matter how badly it strained his throat. “Perfect, like this. You don't need change. Huffy boy, don't hurt. You're good. And mine.”

 

Ray fluttered all over at the words. “You really think that, Rye?”

 

Ryan nodded eagerly. He wiggled his boy further down his knees so he could get at his pants. He worked at them quickly despite Ray's watery, amused chuckle. He parted the thick, fire resistant material until he could dig out his already hard cock. The impressive length always made Ray a bit breathless and he was mesmerized by how full it already was, even damp at the tip.

 

“Is that just from me being your lap?” Ray asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

 

“Always,” Ryan promised, leaning forward to brush a chaste kiss on his boy's lips. “Make me _so_ happy. So pretty, sweet to me, sweet to...a monster.”

 

Ray whimpered and pressed up close to the man again. “You're not a monster. You're _mine_. My protector, my Daddy.”

 

“ _Mine_ ,” Ryan echoed in a growl, clamping a broad hand on his boy's hip before he surged forward. Ray gasped in surprise at first but as he fell among the soft pillows he giggled happily and squirmed in delight as his guardian covered him up completely. Ryan's mighty form hunched over him, a big arm braced above his head while a hand came down to cradle the boy's smooth cheek and jaw.

 

“Daddy,” Ray cooed up at him.

 

“No darkness,” Ryan struggled, glancing pointedly at the lamp. “No more hiding. Too pretty. Too good for...all this.”

 

A smirk flashed across his face before he dipped down to brush a kiss across his boy's mouth. “Want to be a girl?

 

The husky, broken rumble made Ray shiver beneath him, skirt whispering across the sheets as his thighs rubbed together. He could see the strain of Ryan's cock and if he arched up he would feel it across his clothed tummy. How that thick flesh fit inside him he'd never know but there was so much oil and slippery lube beside the bed and it all worked miracles to let them slot together.

 

“Use you like one.”

 

Ray chewed his lip to swallow another whimper, the dirty words hitting him right in the gut. Hands worked under his skirt to lay palms on the insides of his thighs, slowly pushing them open so the blunt fingers could dip between. They rubbed over his dry hole through his panties and he jerked like he'd been shocked. Those hands were always so warm, flowing constantly with the threat of Ryan's beloved Incinerate Plasmid. Such danger and promise in those digits.

 

Ryan brushed their noses just enough for him to feel it. “Lick you like one.”

 

“You insatiable brute,” Ray teased, both hands laying on his Daddy's shoulders before they drifted down his barreled chest. “Let me make you feel good too, Daddy.”

 

Ryan was going to protest, to promise him a night of selfish pleasure, but he couldn't say a word as his boy started to wiggle down the sheets with promising kisses dropping all over his bare chest. The first hot lick of his boy's tongue made him huff like a bull, lips pulling up at the corners.

 

“My small babe,” Ryan husked as the head was suckled into his eager mouth. “My Ray.”

 

~*~

 

When Ray awoke it was to a plethora of sensations. He knew it had to be morning from the faint peek of light that came from the fake wall above his room, the lights kicking on in the day cycle. They had made love last night for so long, he was still so exhausted. He'd changed clothes to sleep in and he could see them now, his own legs hiked up on top of his Daddy's shoulders. They were covered in dark and mint green striped knee socks, making his legs longer than they were. He admired he easy way his knees hooked over the man's massive shoulders. The belly shirt he'd slipped on was bundled up under his arm pits and his nipples were wet, sore from too-needy nibbles. He skirt and panties had long since been torn away.

 

Ray yawned loudly and his Daddy kissed him under the jaw in a quiet _good morning_.

 

Ryan was bare of all his clothing and looked in his natural state rutting so slowly into Ray's reslicked hole. The boy loved it, touched that more oil had been added to make every movement silky smooth. His guardian had such amazing stamina but he was so achingly tender when he sensed Ray's body was drained. The soft panting told Ray that his Daddy had probably been going for about an hour, just gliding in and out of him to mimic the gentle waves of the sea so he wouldn't be woken.

 

Though bleary eyed and feeble from the haze of sleep, Ray started to grow hard from how full he was.

 

“Daddy,” Ray moaned, breathy and high as he lulled his head across the pillow. “Ryan, yes...”

 

Without his glasses he could barely see but he grabbed at Ryan's hair to pull him down. The strong jaw was nuzzled affectionately and he kissed whatever he could. Such a powerful, capable Daddy he had and with the pleasure came a regret that made his eyes water.

 

“I wish I could give you babies,” Ray confessed with a mournful sigh.

 

Ryan shushed him with an unbearably sweet kiss. “I don't need babies. Just _you_.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

If it was one thing you had in Rapture once you were secure, it was time. Ray picked up a few hobbies now and then but his newest one was his favorite. He'd gathered thick sack material, doll hair, and bits of metal and toy guns and a screw. Some fluff for the insides and buttons for eyes and then he'd have the perfect stitchpunk doll of his Daddy. He would carry it around everywhere out in the city and would love it with all his heart.

 

But only if he could find the right eyes.

 

Ray waited obediently by his vent in the Farmer's Market as he waited for Ryan to return with the body he'd pointed out to him the other day. It would be chock full of ADAM and they would be able to rest for a few days if they extracted it. He rocked back and forth on his heels, admiring the look of the Mary Janes, but his idleness came to a screeching halt when he saw a few shirts strewn at the end of the hall that hadn't been there before. _Buttons._

 

Ray was blinded by his sudden joy and he ran full speed at them. He laughed as he got on his knees and started sifting through them.

 

“Oh yes,” Ray breathed when he pulled out a silken shirt with dark blue buttons. They were as close to Ryan's eyes as he'd ever seen and they would be perfect for his doll. He ripped them off with his teeth and they clattered into his waiting palm. “Perfect.”

 

A harsh, shaky breath made him go still. Ray slowly turned his head and saw a crouched figure behind the ruin of one of the stalls. It was a boy with an ADAM extractor, just like him, except he was covered in dirt, the filth smudged deeply along his arms and face, even on his bare legs. A ripped tank barely covered his chest and his skirt was ruffly pink and so _short_ , he could almost see right up it in this position. He was all limbs, gangly and bird-like in the spike of his hair and the shape of his nose. He had big green eyes that glowed so fiercely it struck fear straight down into Ray's chest.

 

All he could think of were those long fingers tearing into him, or that matching extractor plunging straight into his chest. Ray gasped and the boy flinched, showing his teeth like a agitated animal. He did the only thing he could think of – he sucked in a giant breath and threw his head back.

 

“ _Daddy_!”

 

 


	3. A Better Daddy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael is a little boy with starlet dreams and a drawer full of stockings. Beloved and desired by all, but not as much as his Big Daddy. Geoff will do anything to protect his little miss and keep him comfortable.

**I made a reference[photoset](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/106004017131/bioshock-au-reference-pics) for this fic and those are the links you'll see throughout the story. I realize there are readers who've never seen Bioshock and deserve some clarification.**   
  
**This Michael is shamelessly inspired by[Chooboozle's petfic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2359730)! (A marvelous Western AU). It's amazingly naughty and Michael is so glamorous please go give it a try because the author is super amazing and good to me.**

* * *

 

 

Michael yawned loudly before lazily rolling onto his side and reaching for the lamp. He flicked it on and golden, pink-tinged light filled the room. The scarves he’d laid across the glass lamp gave it all some color. He slumped back into the silken sheets and laid there for a little while before he flipped onto his stomach and started stretching like a cat, hands clawing at pillows and reaching way out in front of him while his bare bottom raised in the air. His back bowed and curved as he worked every muscle, waking himself up piece by piece.

 

Powder pink sheets were pushed away with a flourish and he swung his legs over the edge. The carpet tickled his toes. Another little yawn escaped him as he sauntered over to thumb through his record collection. Something smooth and jazzy was put on and he hummed along as he went to the basin beside his vanity. He took the folded cloth there and wet it in the pure, filtered water his Daddy had collected for him. Careful swipes and scrubs pinked his skin and woke him up more completely.

 

Feeling much more fresh, Michael stepped over and rifled through his wardrobe. He felt like dressing up extra nice today and it showed from the selection he pulled out. He placed his delicate pile on the vanity and plucked up his snow white satin garter belt. It fit nice and snug on his hips, the waiting ribbon clasps so gently dangling down his thighs in hopes of something to hook into. Lacy, dusk rose colored panties were chosen next and pulled up his smooth legs. They blended so nicely with his pale skin and cut high on his fleshy cheeks. The reflection he got in the mirror looked so pretty he purred. His favorite knife-pleated skirt matched well with its darker shade and he shimmied into it, hooking the fish-eye clasp and zipping it up. It clung to his hips at the top but was nice and free around his thighs, the material kissing them as he shimmied.

 

Michael plopped down at his ivory-and-gold leaf vanity and admired himself in the clear, scratchless mirror. He sung wordlessly to the tune of the smooth trumpet solo as he picked up a crystal bottle and spritz some wildflower perfume at the base of his throat. It was rubbed in before he got his stockings and started to roll them onto his feet one at a time, whining faintly over each little tear he found in the silky material. He was so rough with his clothing.

 

Lightly scented cream was pumped out of a bottle that had French written all over the label and was rubbed into his face, his hands and arms, even his shoulders. A compact with the fading sticker 'carnation' was opened up and he dipped a wide, face brush in it to buff over the apple of his cheeks. Glistening rose salve was rubbed over his full lips to smooth them and make them shine. Michael whistled along to the music as he brushed his curls and touched up the candy pink polish on his nails, stocking-clad toes bobbing in time with the bass.

 

While the boy went about his routine, the lamp illuminated all the photos on his wall. They had been cut out of every magazine and newspaper he could get his hands on – women in all varying states of dress. Glamorous movie stars had been sliced out of pulp mags like _Movies_ and even higher class publishings like _Charm._ Commercial gals, fashion models, even the ladies in the skin mags (there were hidden stacks of _Glamor Parade, French Frills, and Dapper_ under his bed.) They were all plastered on his wall, some glossed over with clear polish to keep them from fading. Some were all crammed together, nameless ladies with everything he wanted like big curves and soft breasts, but others were by themselves like a place of honor.

 

These were the women he modeled himself after. Strong, independent women like quirky Clara Bow and the ravishing Gloria Swanson. Barbara Stanwyck had a shrine all too herself. She was just a _queen_ in Michael’s eyes and he would’ve given anything to be just like her. Smokey eyes, flawless skin, and just an air of pure flirtatious innocence. He’d only seen one of her movies and it had been on a ratty projector but he’d loved her instantly.

 

One other woman was just as loved. Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, the mother of them all. He’d wrapped a string of white fairy lights around her picture frame. Michael couldn’t quite place his real age and his body didn’t help with its mid-teen appearance but he did know that he remembered her. He’d been part of the first group to get an advanced boost of the serum that had been created to prolong their youth so he was certainly older than the Little Brothers still running around Rapture. He’d watched his Orphanage blow up right before his eyes, the fire taking out all his friends in just a few short minutes. Despite what had been done to him, he could still lovingly recall Tenenbaum’s soft hands and accented voice cooing to him before he’d been injected. After that were hot flashes of a laboratory, the sight of a Sea Slug in a jar beside him on a sterile table, and the straps that had held him down. They were unpleasant memories that haunted his nightmare.

 

 _How old am I?_ Michael mused sadly as he looked into his own eyes in the mirror. He would probably never know and that made him a little sick to his stomach. The light rouge, the shining lips – had he always been a boy? What else had they changed while he was under the knife? He had a boy’s body but seeing the dressed up doll in the mirror made him question things that his damaged mind could only struggle through.

 

Michael put a few tiny, red ribbon clips in his hair and securely them as best he could. He’d just slipped on a long-sleeved white shirt that swung low at the neck when he heard a pounding noise. He startled but a great smile split his face. The coast was clear. He grabbed his [ADAM](http://40.media.tumblr.com/fe6183011385c7683c826269f2196517/tumblr_nh27h3eYa31r4uv0wo1_1280.jpg) [extractor](http://36.media.tumblr.com/f4a5e15230f68ece10ab9e6690e223c1/tumblr_nh27h3eYa31r4uv0wo3_250.jpg) from its mantled place on the wall and slid his feet into some flats with stylish kitten heels.

 

This apartment was sealed off, no stairs left and every elevator destroyed by his Big Daddy. The only way in was a complicated climb up through the destroyed apartments below with several electrically charged openings that only someone as powerful as his guardian could live through. There was one another way, _his_ way, and that was through the vents. Deep within the walls where the Splicers couldn’t get there was a place where one vent fed out into a ladder which he would climb up to the second vent, which got him straight into his fancy little home. But there was a fork, and the second way he used was for going down. It was one long slide that spilled right out into their usual meeting spot.

 

He took pause beside the vent to look at the [Atlas poster](http://40.media.tumblr.com/d6e3f416d004850369d8c3cc3b32ae3b/tumblr_nh27h3eYa31r4uv0wo4_1280.png) he had splayed on the wall there. The boy pouted and sighed as he ran his fingers over the swoop of the man's dark hair, the strong line of his jaw – Michael could still remember that lyrical accent over the speakers, coming through radios. The man had sparked a revolution and Michael had been in love. He'd obsessively listen to his speeches and crawl through the vents near the rally points just to get a taste of his energy. How handsome Atlas had been, a leader and a warrior, everything a man should be. Michael's heart had fluttered so childishly for him.

 

But he was not who he'd claimed to be, and the boy soured toward him.

 

Michael eagerly hopped up into the vent and took the left path in the fork. There was just enough room for him to turn himself around, feet first, and then push forward. He squealed in delight as he flew down the slope, smooth brass amazingly cool against his skin as he slid so fast his clothes ruffled up. He was full of mirthful giggles from the ride by the time he saw light but he wasn’t scared.

 

Michael popped out of the vent and fell straight into his Daddy’s waiting arms. Geoff had his goggles pushed up into his hair was grinning down at him in shared amusement. His protector was made of such rounded, _thick_ muscle and he loved how well he fit against his much bigger body.

 

“Daddy,” Michael purred, touching the man’s jaw just to feel the rough scrape of his beard.

 

Geoff kissed his cheek and looked him over. “You look so pretty today, Little Boy.”

 

Michael bat his lashes as he flipped up his skirt to show off how snugly he fit in his lace panties. Geoff’s breath hitched and it was like music to his ears. “Pretty all over, Daddy.”

 

“Yes you are you minx,” Geoff teased as he pecked a kiss on his shining mouth. “Vixen. My favorite little temptress.”

 

Michael snapped his teeth at him. “Better be your _only_.”

 

Geoff put him on his feet and let him fix his clothes before he tilted up his chin to peer into his sweet face. “Look at those eyes. One more trip out, huh?”

 

“One more vial,” Michael confirmed as he slung his extractor over his shoulder. “I want to look for a sun dress today, and maybe I new plushie since Linky fell apart.”

 

“Whatever my Little Boy wants, he gets!” Geoff declared before he scooped the boy up in a one armed hug that took him off his feet. A hot kiss was planted on Michael’s pliant mouth and he sighed happily, feet kicking up as his kitten heels threatened to slip off. “Want me to carry you on my back or do you want to walk?”

 

Michael bit his lip and grabbed the man by his vest, dragging him back in with a sultry stare. “How about you give me more of those kisses, Daddy?”

 

~*~

 

The Bistro Square would’ve been the place Michael spent every day of his life if he’d been a Rapture citizen when things were in full swing. The place would’ve been crawling with socialites and gossiping housewives who were in the middle of traveling ( _had_ once been). He could’ve people watched all day. Now, however, it was in complete ruin and the area was very open with the exception of debris.

 

Michael got down on his hands and knees, smirking to himself as he tilted his ass up and put his ear to the floor. His skirt rode high and he could hear his Daddy’s little huffs as he watched intently (to keep him safe, of course). Michael spread his hands out along the floor and waited, listening for the angels to call out to him in their sweet voices. Oh, how he wanted the sweet ADAM waiting in their bellies. He craved it in a never ending thirst. Not like those disgusting, hideous Splicers. ADAM made him and his Daddy strong, it was what kept them alive.

 

It was like a heartbeat. _Thump. Thump. Come get me._

 

The call of the ADAM could not be drowned out by the sudden hooting of a group of Splicers coming from one of the tram exits. It was the opposite way of the angel. Michael took off hot after the scent, confidant that his Daddy would take care of them. Geoff had proven himself stronger than the Alpha Series, more clever and powerful than any spliced up monster who came at them. There was nothing to fear as he disappeared around the corner and blindly let himself be led.

 

It was like the greatest offering. The splicer was fat and intact laying in a pool of his own oily blood. The body was spread out at the base of a wide staircase just… _waiting_. Michael raced over and squatted down in a dry spot beside the corpse’s head. He pressed the trigger on his extractor with one hand while the other laid on the bulging belly. ADAM was attracted to Little Brothers, they had been genetically manipulated just for this. He could feel the drug pooling just under the chosen spot and he waited just a few moments before he jammed the needle right in there.

 

“Who watches over sleeping angels? I do, I do…” Michael sang to himself as he pumped the trigger, the first spurt of ADAM making him chuckle. “I’ll make you light as feathers.”

 

The fat splashes of ADAM in the glass canister enraptured the Little Brother. He cooed over it and by the time he heard the sound of running feet it was too late. Michael’s head snapped up, curls bouncing around his ears as he looked around. Three Splicers were barreling down the stairs right toward him. The boy abandoned his extractor and got up, taking only two steps the other way before reeling back. Three more were flanking him, cutting off his escape. He sucked in a breath to yell for Geoff but a sour hand clawed over his mouth and dragged him backward. Half a dozen more hands followed to yank him right off his feet and seize his thrashing arms. He clawed at whatever he could find.

 

The monsters loomed over him and he gagged in disgust at the sight of their disfigured, patchwork faces. Sunken and tumor-ridden, the ADAM hungry bastards started clawing at him like the beasts they were. Their humid breath made his skin crawl and he tried to bite at the hand on his face but the taste of it made him gag horribly. Shaking fingers got up under his skirt and they ripped at his garters, tearing them and scraping at his stockings to get to his skin.

 

“It's the pretty one,” one of them hissed.

 

His shirt was torn down the middle and he cried out behind the clamp of the hand. A cold, slimy tongue ran over his stomach. He whimpered and tried to squirm away but he couldn't get an inch between him and the crowd of the putrid Splicers. Dozens of fingers started to hook into his ribs and the cut of nails, the well of blood, gave him new fire. Michael jerked his arm free and pried the palm off his mouth.

 

“ _Daddy!_ ”

 

He got a blunt smack across the face that made his eyes go cross and his vision blur up with the tears that welled. His smothered scream was paired with the high-pitched whine of a drill revving up. It whirred loudly before the Splicers around him started to explode. A thick spray of blood covered the Little Bother. He screamed and jerked his head away, arms flying up to block his face and try to cover his ears. Michael curled up on himself on the steps and tried to block it out, to get away from the shrill sound and the warm spatters of blood, the screams. There was a surge of electricity through the air, the stench of ozone burning his nose.

 

He could hear his name like it was whispered through water, a suggestive gurgle at first, but then it started echoing more strongly. Thick, gloved fingers touched his arm and he was thrown back to the first time he met his real Daddy. He flinched away at first but then he could feel the heat of Geoff's body protectively hovering over him. A hand wiggled into his protective stance and cupped his chin to force his head up. Michael's lip wobbled and shining tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked up at his Daddy. Geoff's goggles were around his neck and his hat had been pushed off. Besides the slight slate of his skin, he looked so painfully human. It soothed the Little Brother and he opened his arms, blubbering to be held.

 

“My Little Boy,” Geoff lamented as he brought his charge up into his arms. The small boy fit so well against his chest and in his lap, slotting into his very form like he was always meant to be there. Tiny sobs were pressed into his shoulder and his blood-soaked babe quivered with leftover terror. The Splicers had left such savage marks that were already healing but the fright lingered like poison. “I'm a terrible Daddy. Oh baby, oh sweetheart – I let them put their _disgusting_ hands on you. You ran so far and I didn't know where you went. What did we say about running off?”

 

Michael tried to say he was sorry but his cries were too thick to form proper words.

 

“Hush, Little Boy,” Geoff ordered so softly, rocking him a little. “It's not your fault. The ADAM called to you, didn't it? You got so caught up, sweetheart. Don't you worry. I'm going to keep a better eye on you. That's Daddy's job. I won't look away again.”

 

~*~

 

Geoff carried his boy to the fountain near their home. Clear water pumped through it and it was set in a little courtyard off to the side of the main drag. The room was overgrown with vines and had squared, colored windows that mixed with the natural blue glow of the sea.

 

Michael's tattered clothing laid in a sad pile on the edge of the fountain. All except for his favorite lace panties that he couldn't bear to part with. They had managed not to get filthy with blood unlike his shoes, his garters, and his pretty skirt. He mourned the loss of his delicate clothing by dunking himself under the chillly water. He stayed under the surface, crouched low, and broke free with a shuddering gasp. The lemon soap his Daddy had found for him was rubbed all over his skin in a proper bath, the bar scrubbed through his curls which had taken the brunt of the blow. The boy shivered from the chill as faint pink lines of water ran down his legs.

 

Another quick dunk got rid of the rest of the filth. His panties became translucent, clinging to he little curve of his cock and riding between his ample cheeks. This time, as he rubbed the yellow soap all over his skin, it was for the pure pleasure of being clean.

 

Geoff was kneeling nearby, ready and willing with little colored streaks of light striping over his hulking form. His watchful guardian was feeling deep guilt over his attack though the marks were already gone, healed by his ADAM-infused cells. It could have gotten bad and they both knew it. The Splicers had no conscious, they knew nothing but the addiction, and they would have ravaged his body with how close he was to being at max capacity.

 

This wasn't the first run in he'd had with Splicers but it was the only one he'd had with Geoff. Once, he'd had an Alpha Series model. He'd loved it, as much as one could love something that couldn't love back, but it had been a pale shadow of what he had now.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

_**Years Ago...** _

 

“Wait for me, Mr. B!”

 

Michael's Big Daddy moved fast for a the heavy body it had. The boy struggled to keep up with the heels he'd chosen that day. They weren't high but they surely weren't meant for running. His Daddy was going off without him – _again_. The ruined city wasn't safe for a Little Brother and fear coursed like ice water through his heart every time he lost sight of his Daddy. He loved the Big Daddy with all his heart and it pained him so much to be left behind. The only time the great beast paid attention to him was when he was in direct danger. Michael tried to prove his love with ADAM, gifts of ammo and Eve, even oil for its drill, but Big Daddy was dismissive on all counts. He didn't acknowledge Michael's pretty outfits or pat his head, he couldn't even communicate with him!

 

“Mr. B, please,” Michael whined as he staggered up beside the creature. They were heading home to a room behind the walls of Athena's Glory, there was no rush. “Slow down! What if we run across some ADAM? You'll go right by it!”

 

The Big Daddy's helmet flashed red and a hand bigger than Michael's head grabbed him by the arm and yanked him up off his feet. He yelped at first but it became a scream as his shoulder popped out of place and he was shoved roughly onto the Daddy's back. He clung onto his mask with one hand while he cradled his arm into his body, sniffling and tiny tears leaking into his long lashes. The large hand laid all across his back and pointedly pressed hard, skin bruising under the rough touch.

 

“I-I'll stay, Mr. Bubbles,” Michael whimpered submissively.

 

The Big Daddy's lights flashed back to green and his weighted touched was taken back. Michael hung on tight as the creature continued on back to Athena's Glory. He hated how rough his Daddy was with him. He just wanted to be loved and instead he got bruises. There was a painful _pop_ as his arm slipped back in and started to heal itself. He chomped down on his lip to keep his pitiful sob quiet. Crying only made his Daddy angrier.

 

They rode the tram to Athena's Glory. As they entered the lobby there was a noticeable charge in the air. Michael perked up and looked over his Daddy's head to see what was happening. There was a man standing among a scatter of bodies – a massive man with thick goggles over his eyes and a leather cap covering the rest of his head. A rivet gun was slung over his shoulder, a drill extension over his fist to mimic the weapon of a Big Daddy. He was twice the size of the biggest Splicer Michael had ever seen and was _brimming_ with ADAM. He could smell it from here.

 

“What do we have here?” the man sounded normal enough, but there were no _normal_ in Rapture. There were only Splicers and Little Boys and Big Daddies. The bastard must have killed a Daddy and taken his weapons! Michael recoiled in disgust but barked out a startled sound when he was grabbed by his waist and tossed carelessly onto the floor. His extractor clattered away and he skidded across the filthy, smooth tile. His limbs throbbed in protest and he blushed darkly when he realized how high his skirt had ridden up. He felt the weight of a gaze and  quickly sat up to smooth down the material, shooting a glare at the Splicer.

 

But the man's eyes weren't on him – they was on his Big Daddy, who's lights were red in warning. The wail his Daddy released meant to hide. Michael scrambled to his feet and went straight for the nearest vent. He shot a fierce glare at the bulging Splicer man. “Unzip 'im, Daddy!”

 

As the Little Brother wiggled into the vent, he heard the unknown creature speak.

 

“Now that's no way to treat a lady.”

 

Michael hid just out of sight and listened to the sounds of the battle that raged on. Loud drills, the clunk of a rivet gun, the whoosh of fire and crackle of electricity. After only a few minutes there was a clamoring of Splicers and he could smell the Houdini Splicers. They were bursting all over the place and the stench of their sulfur wafted into the vent. With a puff of red smoke one appeared at the mouth of the vent, beady eyes staring hungrily at him from behind its ugly stick mask. A single arm shot inside but it couldn't nearly reach, a gloved hand patting all over the tunnel to try and grab a piece of him. An ugly snarl came from behind its mask before the Splicer's fingertips started to burn, little flames flicking in the start of a full on Incinerate.

  
He'd be roasted alive.

 

“Mr. Bubbles!” Michael screeched, scrambling backwards to try and get away. He should've gone farther, should've moved quicker.

 

The Splicer screamed as a burst of blue bolts crawled all over its body, limbs flailing as the electricity fried it from the inside out. It only took a few moments before the corpse slumped into the vent. Its feet gave out and it slumped away, the searing stench of its flesh lingering. There were more horrid screams and the spit of multiple weapons. Michael waited with baited breath and eventually it quieted down. There were no more Splicers, at least, because he could smell the ADAM rolling off them even from here and that scent only came from dead bodies. _New angels to give Mr. B for protecting me._

 

Michael crawled up and out with a graceful hop. His knees were still throbbing from his fall but he managed to stay up. Horror struck his face when he saw his Big Daddy on the ground, the strangely normal Splicer standing over him and whirring up his drill. Without even a beat of hesitation, the drill was plunged straight into the head cavity of the dive suit. Michael felt all the blood drain from his face and he swayed on his feet, mouth twisting in a wordless cry of despair. Bile rose in the back of his throat and he heaved himself forward, heart lurching toward his Big Daddy.

 

The hulking man stepped away from his Big Daddy to charge at a new trickle of Splicers that burst from the floor, having coming through the sewers. But Michael didn't care.

 

“Get up, Mr. Bubbles. G-get up already.” He stumbled clumsily and collapsed on top of his Big Daddy, weak fingers rubbing at the broken shards of his head piece. Blood and ADAM and pure fluid leaked out in heavy gurgles, low inhumane groans rumbling through his body. Michael wept and wrapped his arms around him, ear pressed to where he knew his Daddy's heart was. “Y-You're leaking. I don't know what to do. What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong! What do I _do_?”

 

Michael sobbed as he dug his teeth into his wrist, pressing hard until he tasted blood. In a desperate attempt to give him a mix of blood and ADAM. He let his wound drip in the mess of his Daddy's helmet. A look inside told him it was a lost cause. It was a mesh of glass and fluid and gross, softened flesh. The semblance of a head made him dry heave.

 

The Big Daddy's hand slowly rose up and laid on his head, the bloody head inside moving and the lights fading gradually. Michael pushed up into the gloved fingers, desperate to help, but a solemn death rattle echoed. The hand fell away and the suited body grew limp.

 

“Mr. Bubbles?” Michael shook him, his very lungs quivering in growing dread. “M-Mr. B? Don't do this! Don't leave me. Please! _Please_.”

 

“There you are.”

 

Michael picked his head up off his Daddy's still chest and saw the normal Splicer standing there, drill coated in blood and hand still sparking with Electrobolt. There was a fine spray of red all over him, even across his thick goggles. He had a big grin on his face like he'd won something. Michael steeled his nerves and clenched his jaw tight to keep his fear from showing through. He slowly circled around, trying not to make any sudden moves, and the loud _pop_ of another Houdini Splicer coming into the room gave him the distraction he'd been looking for.

 

Michael wasn't such easy prey. He took on quick feet and bolted straight into the elevator, dragging the folding door closed and punching the button to the floor he knew held the most intact apartments to hide in. He stuck out his tongue at the surprised normal-looking man and the elevator took him up a reasonable space. He clenched his hand on the railing and stretched his legs a little, huffing sharp breaths to try and get himself together. Grief and terror were swamping his system but he needed to hide, he needed to get to a vent. He would've gone through the one downstairs, head back to the safe room, but he could've been more easily grabbed. He needed to put some distance between them.

 

Once the floor came into view he ripped back the door and took off down the hall. He couldn't remember which suite had the vent but he knew he'd recognize the number when he saw it. Michael passed an open door and faltered when the floor inside the far room erupted in flames. A gloved hand shot out of the burning crater and he trembled when the Splicer-esque man heaved himself up. The flames didn't even slow him down.

 

Michael swallowed a scream and kept running. His memory faltered and he took a wrong turn straight into the grand lounge area. It was in shades of the sea, roughly kept in good condition, and he'd never seen a more disappointing sight. There was no vent in here, not one he could reach. The boy couldn't stop now, he could hear the man right behind him, so he took a chance and bolted across the wide expanse of the room. If he could get into the kitchens, behind the bar maybe. There could easily be a vent tucked behind-

 

Michael's train of thought crashed in a blur of color. His accursed heels caught on the carpet, slid off, and he tumbled headfirst into the floor. He cracked his head and his half-ass attempt to catch himself only got a horribly twisted wrist and everything knocked on the hard floor from his elbows to his knees. The harsh impact took his breath in a painful _oof_. The boy tried to brace his palms on the carpet to get up, to get to his feet, but the harsh pants for air sapped his energy. His cheek smacked on the floor when his arms gave out and he whimpered, body going limp. His broken heart crumbled under the weight of his dismay and he sunk into the carpet.

 

Mr. Bubbles was dead, growing cold in the lobby without a thought in his head and probably being torn to pieces by Splicers. Michael was all alone in this city now. His extractor was lost so he couldn't even get ADAM. He sniffled wetly and shuddered, eyes watering up as he stared sightlessly and waited for death. The man got closer and he choked on a whine.

 

The man cleared his throat and then a finger tapped at his shoulder. Michael blinked a few times before frowning, beyond confused. He sat up on one elbow with a shaky gasp of pain. The man was kneeling by his feet, goggles off his and stuffed in his pocket. He held one baby blue heel between his gloved hands, the same that matched his shirt and the one still on his foot.

 

The man's smile was kind of _dorky_ , if a person that size could look that way. “I think this belongs to you, little miss.”

 

Michael nodded dumbly. A gloved finger ran under his calf and easily lifted his leg. His shoe was slid on with a careful ease and the man's eyes followed the long line of his calf.

 

“Such beautiful stockings,” the man mused with something akin to adoration. “You're a perfect doll. Do you have a name, Little Brother?”

 

“M-Michael,” he stuttered, waiting for the man to rip into him.

 

“Michael,” the man repeated in awe. “Well, Michael, I'm Geoff.”

 

The boy tried to crawl away but he flinched when something stung his eye. Geoff tisked and scraped back his cap to reveal a crop of dark hair. “You've got a little bump. Come here.”

 

Michael gaped as as this 'Geoff' boldly reached down and curled a mighty hand around his ribs, under his thigh, and lifted him up off the ground with surprising gentleness for such strength. Used to be jerked around, Michael was surprised to find himself placed to sit at the very end of one of those French fainting couches. It was the color of seaweed and soft under his hands. A relatively clean cloth was pulled out of Geoff's belt and was swiped across his eyebrow to clear up the blood, pressed to the cut on his forehead to staunch the blood flow.

 

“Well, look at that,” Geoff muttered in awe as he pulled back the cloth to find the wound healed. “Perfect little doll, fixing itself.”

 

Michael tried to wiggle up the length of the couch but the man clicked his tongue at him and grabbed him under the knee. It didn't hurt but it was firm enough to drag him back.

 

“Don't touch me!” Michael begged, bringing his hand up to block his face like he was expecting to get hit. His hand was taken in a much larger one, pulled away and up to not only expose but offer his face up to the man. “L-Let go, don't...stop it! Get away from me!”

 

Michael squealed as Geoff caught his mouth in a kiss. He stared, wide eyed, and realized this was a Big Boy kiss like the stuff he saw in the magazines. The man's lips fit well against his own and a hot tongue lapped at the seam of his own, which he parted in pure instinct. He flustered flailing melted away as the slick muscle curled with his own like he wanted to coax it into playing. He could taste something there, start to smell it – rich, velvety, with that cinnamon zing. _ADAM._

 

Michael let himself be eased on his back by the insistent kiss and the hand pressed to the dip of his spine. The lips never left his and his mouth was plundered with such  _confidence_ , it made his head swoon. This wasn't a Splicer settling between the crook of his thighs, who was easing back his skirt and curiously fingering his panties.

 

This was a Big Daddy.

 

“How are you...?” Michael whispered in a daze, blearily watching the man remove his gloves before a single finger hooked in the crotch of his panties. They were pulled down his plumps thighs and dragged along his stockings, left to hang on his ankle. He was humiliatingly bared but the warm suckle at his jaw made him forget all about it. “You're different from the others.”

  
“I am,” Geoff assured him. “And I've been looking for a Little Brother. You're it for me, baby girl.”

 

Michael shook his head, curls brushing his forehead as he tried to express his doubt, but then he was bodily covered and kissed again. Geoff filled his mouth with heat and he was instantly addicted. No one had ever touched him like this before, no one he hadn't found putrid had ever tried. He hiked his legs up to wrap around the man's waist, arms slithering around his neck to keep him close. There was a metal clinking and a few grunts into his mouth before he felt something thick and hot brush against his exposed cocklet.

 

The boy pulled away and looked between them with shock. This Big Daddy truly was a _man_ , his cock so much larger than his own and standing proud. The tip was darkly flushed and wet, skin stretched tight, a heavy sick peeking out from his open fly. Michael should have been terrified but he found himself thrilled. He wanted to touch, maybe even to _lick_. He was pulled into another kiss and forced to look away but he could certainly feel the fat flesh dragging against his own tender skin, slipping down past his small mound, and finally fitting into the cleft of his ass.

 

They rutted like simple animals, Michael's hips learning to move while his lips swelled with attention. The dark head of the man's cock caught on his rim and he openly moaned into their mouths. It was so _hot_ , so full of promise and cream that would fill him up to brimming like they did to the swooning gals in his romance novels. He wished he knew what to do like they did. He may have dressed himself up as a lady but he was so ignorant of carnality and he was ashamed of it. He wanted to please the man above him. He'd only ever known how to be a good little girl – now he wanted to learn how to be a _naughty_ one.

 

“I bet no one's ever dared to touch a princess like you,” Geoff gushed with a sappy smile, peppering more pecks over the boy's flushed cheeks. “You need a proper Daddy. Let me do that for you, Michael, let me take care of you. I fucking earned you, didn't I? Got rid of that old model that bruised you up. He was so rough with you, baby, I'd never do that to you. Please, Michael?”

 

His name was a heartfelt plead and a full blown _pout_ on the man's face, eyes all big like a puppy. Michael gaped, torn between giggling at the expression and moaning again as his hole flexed at the thick head of the man's cock.

 

“I could give you _this._ ” The man started to rut along his cleft again, hips rolling smoothly to mimic a much more intimate act that he'd only ever read about or heard in hushed whispers. “Some nice lube to slick the way and we could start working on making puppies. I could take real good care of you, Little Boy. Let me be your Daddy.”

 

Michael knew very well he blatantly didn't have the parts to make such miracle children but the implication, the talk, had him lighting up like a Christmas tree. His heart was fluttering with love ten times more potent than he'd ever felt for Mr. Bubbles, his silent guardian. He threaded his fingers through fine, dark hair and chastely brushed their mouths despite the eager plumping of his own cock.

 

“Wanna' take me home, _Daddy_?” Michael purred as he rubbed up against him.

 

“We're going to find a new home for you. For _us_.”

 

Michael's eyes threatened to roll up to the heavens. “Oh yes, Daddy, pretty please.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Michael could still vividly remember his new Daddy taking him high up into Athena's Glory until they came across a perfectly intact apartment that could be so easily blocked off. They hadn't given a thought about being discovered, all they'd cared about was the bed. They hadn't done anything too vulgar that night with his virginity so fully in place but Geoff had ordered him to strip and spread on the bed. Michael shivered for another reason all together as he recalled laying there in just his stockings with his legs spread wide and knees pushed up to his chest. His Daddy had demanded to see every inch of him and he'd given in, allowed the man to lazily lick everything from his pink cock to the tight furl of untouched muscle between his cheeks.

 

A week later and Michael couldn't go a day without getting fucked.

 

The boy sloshed through the fountain back towards Geoff, teeth starting to clack from the cold. “I looked so pretty this morning, Daddy.”

 

“You're still pretty, doll,” Geoff drawled, coming forward with an open robe he'd taken from one of the half-destroyed luxury shops. There was some ash on the sleeve but otherwise it was fluffy and perfect. It was slid onto the boy and he wrapped himself up in it, tying it tight before he crawled into his Big Daddy's waiting arms. His forehead was kissed and the little tremors started to die away.

 

“I wanna' go home,” he muttered.

 

“Then that's where we'll go. Hold on tight.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

The Splicers were crude when it came to some of the Little Brothers. Michael in particular.

 

The room had been cleared with very little effort on Geoff's part. He stood off to the side attempting to juggle a few baseballs he found while his Little Boy busied himself pulling chunks out of ADAM out of the myriad of bodies. They didn't hear the soft popping at first but then there was a _whoosh_ on one of the balconies above their heads coupled with a wolf whistle.

 

“Pretty girl!”

 

Geoff huffed and got into a defensive stance, locking his eyes on the Houdini Splicer as he slowly moved toward his boy.

 

 _Whoosh._ “Look at those thighs...they're going to look good strung up on hooks.”

 

Michael's jaw clenched and he slowly stood. There was no fear in his system, only disgust. There was another _pop_ and a rain of rose petals. This Splicer was one of Sandra Cohen's goons, the crazy bastard who ran Fort Frolic, a crazed artist. Cohen had very little interest in the Little Brothers but Michael had always been terrified that his own blatant love for theatrics and costumes would catch the man's attention. No, no longer a man, Cohen was a damn Splicer – no better than the beast popping around the ceiling above them.

 

“Wanna' see what's under that skirt,” the Splicer growled, still out of accurate Plasmid range. “Wanna' see what's in that belly. Make him bounce in my lap, or bounce on my _knife_.”

 

Michael took a full Eve Hypo out of his small purse and took careful steps up behind his Daddy, eyes still on the ceiling.

 

“You don't deserve him, don't need him,” the Splicer's voice was starting to echo off the walls. “ _I_ need him! I need that ADAM!”

 

Michael jabbed Geoff in the shoulder and plunged in the Eve. “X his eyes, Daddy.”

 

With the new surge of Plasmid juice, Geoff shot a thick Electrobolt right at the Splicer. The creature shrieked and convolsed, jerking hard right off the platform he'd been standing on. The Splicer exploded in a puff of smoke but Geoff could feel the movement through the air, could smell the stench. He revved up his drill and swung it high above his head, smirking when he heard the wet _squelch_. There was a shimmer before the Splicer appeared around his drill, torso so completely impaled by the sharp spiral. Blood sprayed like rain upon his face but he didn't flinch. His smirk was triumphant as the last gurgles came from the man before he went dead limp.

 

The corpse was thrown aside with ease.

 

Michael smiled up at his Big Daddy and swung his full extractor up on his shoulder. “You did good, old man.”

 

Geoff shrugged like it was no big deal. “Yeah, well, no one gets to talk about those pretty thighs but me.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Michael panted into his silk sheets, legs shifting restlessly. His too-short shift barely covered his panties and the bulge they held. He felt swollen all over and a fever was sizzling across his skin. The boy's belly was glowing and engorged with how much ADAM he'd taken it. His vision was falling in and out of focus as his gaze swept across his picture-covered wall but he could clearly see the glow of his own eyes across the pillow. He'd woken up like this, alone, but he heard his Daddy coming into the room baring small gifts of gratitude for his pains. New stockings, another pillow, a silver lighter, even a few more records. All of these were set aside so that Geoff could strip down to just his shorts.

 

Michael rolled onto his back and watched, breathless, as hid Daddy straddled his hips and carefully tilted his head back with one finger.

 

“Sweet Little Boy,” Geoff crooned.

 

“I'm ripe for you, Daddy. Can you feel it? It's so hot inside me. Like _fire_.” Michael fell into a pitiful whimper as his head fell back, faint red stripes working all through him as his curls fanned across the sheets. “Take it from me. I...I can't hold it inside. It's too much.”

 

“Does my pretty miss need milked?”

 

Michael's doe eyes glistened as he nodded so earnestly.

 

“Mmm, will you give it to me?” Geoff rumbled, prolonging the sweltering moment and the crackling tension in the air. “Will my baby girl give me everything?”

 

“As much as you want,” Michael promised, teeth scraping so hard across his bottom lip that it almost split. “You can take it all i-if you want. It's all for you, Daddy, _everything_.”

 

Geoff closed his eyes briefly to savor the submission, the pure love that poured off his charge. He may have been some fucked up lab experiment but he was grateful he could still feel such affection. Even if it was because of pheromone signatures and hormonal matching, he loved this boy above all else. His life, his very existence, revolved around Michael's whims and needs. He was the luckiest guy in Rapture to have such a bubbly, happy Little Brother to spend his life with.

 

_Till death do us part._

 

Geoff's skin broke out into brightly glowing spider veins as brought forth the Plasmid he had re-awoken with, the only one unapproved by the tyrant Andrew Ryan. The sensation could only be described as _bright_ and he felt uplifted. Blessed.

 

“Please,” Michael whined in a high pitch as his Daddy's hand stroked firmly over the top of his head, down the side of his face, and across his neck. His whole body flourished with matching, glowing lines that etched themselves down into his mouth, into his eyes, and all across his pale skin. There was such light between them, a surge of power that passed from one body to the next.

 

Geoff thought his Little Boy never looked more angelic than he did when he crested like this. The new flow of ADAM filled his massive body like syrup. Sticky sweet in his limbs and bulging up his muscles, doubling his energy. Geoff's ecstatic howl was met with Michael's sharp whimper of release.

 

The boy went slack with just his Daddy's hand on his nape to keep his head from sinking into the pillows. Pale fingers powerlessly clenched at the sheets and his jaw hung slack, lips wet and inviting. His legs moved restlessly against the bed as the pleasure and relief swamped him. His thick stockings _shicked_ against the sheets.

 

Geoff moved down and off his boy's hips to get in between his legs. He tossed the weak limbs around his waist so creamy, plumps thighs rested well in his lap. He selfishly raked up the other's delicate shift to reveal one of his favorites for the boy – waist panties which would look like tiny shorts on anyone else but hugged his little sac and cock snugly enough to be erotic. His stylish mistress, his doll baby, his precious Michael. He ran his tongue over the smooth material and could almost taste the seed inside. He could certainly smell it past the flowery perfume and vanilla cream his body liked to rub into his skin. It was musky and gave him a savory smell that made the Big Daddy's mouth water.

 

“You creamed your panties like a good little boy,” Geoff chuckled happily as he tugged down the material to get at his boy's soft cock. There were streaks of white all over it, smearing into his flesh. Geoff started to lick but kept his movements sweet so as not to overstimulate such tender bits. Happiness swelled up thick and potent in his chest and he smiled all the while, swallowing it down with pleasant hums. “You're so beautiful, my Michael. I love you, you know that? I love my capable boy and all he does for me.”

 

Michael blushed and giggled breathlessly. “Daddy!”

 

Geoff kissed a pale hip. “Did I hurt you, Little Boy?”

 

“Never, Daddy,” Michael promised as he slumped bonelessly into their bed. “It felt so good. Always. You made me so messy.”

 

He peeked shyly down at the man through his lashes. “Do...do you feel good too, Daddy?”

 

“Oh yeah, baby.” Geoff sat up and revealed the thick bulge in his shorts. “I'm fine.”

 

With Geoff's help, Michael managed to sit himself up. He was bundled up into his Daddy's lap for a proper sit and he could barely squeeze his waist for how tired he was. Milking ADAM always left him so useless. He pet at Geoff's arms which held faded ink from out tattoos that were bleached during his transformation into a Big Daddy. Blunt, polished nails scratched at the skin and it didn't even leave a mark. The muscles were hard as stone. _My perfect Daddy._

 

“Can I have a nap before you-?” Michael cut himself off and blushed at the intent of the word _fuck_. He didn't like to use vulgarity in front of his Daddy if he could help it. He yawned and tucked his face into the man's neck. “I'm so sorry, Daddy, I'm tired.”

 

“My Little Boy's tuckered out,” Geoff tisked before he kissed him with all the sweetness he possessed. Michael hummed into his mouth as he was so carefully lowered back onto the bed. Geoff cuddled up behind him and pulled the sheet over the boy's hip. “You rest up.”

 

“Daddy,” Michael sighed, already drifting off.

 

“That's it, baby.”

 

~*~

 

“That's it, baby!”

 

Michael threw his head back and laughed in pure joy. With a heavy drizzle of lube and some brief stretching, he'd taken his Daddy's cock all at once and had started to ride like it was the last time. Clothes had been stripped off with haste but his stockings remained. He was flushed and panting but the smile never left his round face. The hefty cock forced him open and rubbed hard at his fluttering walls but he loved every second. The boy whimpered whenever the sweet spot deep inside him was touched and that made his hips work even harder. Fleshy thighs bounced enticingly and Geoff couldn't keep himself from groping at them.

 

Michael looked like the greatest prize ever won and he was one proud man.

 

“I'm so empty now, Daddy,” the boy whined, scratching lightly at Geoff's wide chest. “Please fill me back up. You're thick but I need more.”

 

Geoff growled and landed a _smack_ to a soft cheek to make the skin bloom red. “Greedy boy!”

 

“I am, Daddy, I _am_ ,” Michael confessed shamelessly, bearing down tight on the cock inside him until the man's vision threatened to go out. His hand was taken up and his thumb popped between his plump lips. “Only for you.”

 

* * *

 

**I would so very much like to know what you think, or just drop a kudos so I know if you guys want this faster. If you have a suggestion, something you'd like to see, tell me here or shoot me a submit/ask on[Tumblr](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/)**

 

 


	4. The Start of a Family - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff and Michael find Gavin and it's the start of a beautiful friendship.

**This is only half of the chapter I'd planned. It was getting too long and I needed to put something out. So, part 2 next chap. I'm trying to get my momentum back after this holiday break. So this chapter isn't quite the best.**   
  
**[The song Michael puts on](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RfS3QlTnS0) **

**[Spider Splicer](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Spider_Splicer) **

  
**warning, possibly triggering attempted non-con situation**

 

* * *

 

“ _Daddy!_ ”

 

Gavin had tried to stay away from the other Little Brother but the boy had come right over to where he'd been rifling for clothes. He'd managed to stay still and hold his breath but the boy had looked straight at him and _screamed_ to high Heaven. The other Little Brother had run for cover and it just made that much easier on Gavin to head the other way as quick as his feet could take him. He knew that yell and it would send any loving Big Daddy running.

 

Gavin yelped as he smacked into a wall of muscle. He looked up to see a hooded figure and shuddered. The man towered over him by two heads at least and his face was covered in a mask with thickly guarded eyes, a metal plate over his broad chest, thick pants across his legs, guards on his knees and shoulders. It struck fear within the small boy and he squawked, whipping around and darting away. The figure followed him with an outstretched hand that crackled with Incinerate and he didn't pay attention where his feet were taking him. He stumbled into a corner. Heart fluttering in his ribs like a caged bird, Gavin stared wide eyed and frightened as the man stumbled closer.

 

It was a Big Daddy. The stature alone would have told him if the man hadn't bent down and held out his hand with a haunting coo that echoed within his mask. The man was _coated_ in blood, drill drooling with it. The image was something that would haunt his nightmares. Gavin feinted before he ran down the wall. He whined when heavy footsteps came from behind him and doubled his pace, ADAM extractor feeling ten times heavier in his hand. A vent was spotted and he leapt up to grab onto the top of one of the stalls, using it to jump onto a nearby branch. There was a muffled yell from the Big Daddy but he ignored it, bracing himself before he grabbed onto the edge of the vent in front of him and pulled himself into it. Gloved finger brushed the bottom of his Oxfords and he kicked to give himself that last heave up into safety.

 

~*~

 

Ray crawled out from beneath the remains of one of the stands and got to his feet, hands brushing the dirt off his skirt. He hurried over to his upset Daddy and put a hand on his arm. “Ryan?”

 

The mask was flipped back and it showed the mournful expression on a handsome face.

 

“Little Boy,” Ryan grunted in concern. “Alone.”

 

Ray's heart was swamped in guilt as he thought of the scared Little Brother running off like a startled rabbit. His scream had been heartwrenching.

 

“I didn't mean to scream at him, Daddy,” Ray lamented, fingers still closed around the coveted blue buttons. “I was so scared. I've never been that close to another one. I'm _so_ sorry, Ryan. I frightened him off.”

 

Ryan hushed him and gently rubbed his covered fingers through his hair. “S'okay.” He shook his head as if to say _there's nothing to do about it now._

 

They headed back home and thought of the dirty Little Brother that was off in the city on his own.

 

~*~*~*~

 

While Ryan and Ray spent the night cycle curled naked in each other's arms and occasionally exchanging chaste kisses in their sleep, a twitchy Little Brother passed the hours as he usually did. In an abandoned elevator shaft there was a side half-room that held a breaker box. A thin mattress pad had been dragged there with a few sheets serving as covers from the chilly air that bellowed through the shaft. The sound of Splicers could be heard echoing along the metal until it became a constant chatter. The glow of ADAM in his extractor was the only light except for what streamed in from under broken doors on the few floors this tunnel reached. Thankfully the wonderfully earthy smell of Arcadia drifted in from the vents and he got a little comfort from it.

 

Gavin curled tighter in the sheets and thought of how he'd give anything to live behind the walls of the fake forest. The place was rotted out with Splicers and it was too dangerous. With how hard his little hovel was to get to made it his best option. He seemed to be stuck in a perpetual state of terrified, first form the Splicers and now from the Big Daddy he'd pissed off. He nuzzled his face into his prized possession, a velveteen giraffe named Egg, and tried ease his racing heart.

 

Gavin curled up tighter and his leg peeked out from between the sheets. He huffed sadly and reached down to finger his filthy skirt. It was almost ruined and his top was already in poor condition. The material used to be so pretty. The small pile of clothes he had folded by the wall were growing in poorer condition by the day.

 

Somehow, among the hiss of Splicers and the shadowed swirl of his own mind, Gavin found some sleep.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Gavin peeped out of the vent to check if the cost was clear. He'd made the journey away from Arcadia after the encounter with the strange, humanoid Big Daddy. He'd never seen one without a diving suit and he'd been suffering vague nightmares about him for days. He wanted to leave the creature far behind and he decided to spend a few days in the walls of the more dangerous area of Apollo Square. He was close to Olympus Heights where the glamorous had once lived but he'd chosen to go toward the less run down, working-class area of Artemis Suits. The vents were in pristine state and he traveled quite easily.

 

But it stank here.

 

Gavin had found some kind of laboratory and there was a fat angel waiting for him in the middle of the floor. He eased out and stepped onto the floor, Oxford's clicking dully on the tile. He looked around, confused at first, but then realized the chalkboard on the wall was full of chalk drawings of [Big Daddies](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Big_Daddy), the ones in the dive suit, the only ones he'd ever known. His breath grew labored and sadness compressed his lungs, threatening to choke him. His Daddy had been killed during the riots all that time ago, mauled by ADAM hungry thugs. He'd given his life so that Gavin could get away. The boy couldn't remember what he looked like – whether he was a Rosie or a Protector or what – but he remembered heavy pets and wandering the city without fear.

 

Gavin had come close to having a Daddy again...but that hadn't worked out. _That_ particularly memory hurt too much to think about. He distracted himself by unsheathing his ADAM needle and sticking it into the corpse's belly. The canister was only half full when he heard the sudden screech of Splicers.

 

“It's a Little Brother by _himself_!” one declared much to the delight of its companions, who responded in a roar of need. They were quick. Gavin yanked his extractor out and made a beeline for the vent. He shouldn't have wandered so far. He should have stayed where he knew was safe. He wiggled his long body up into the vent and was only halfway in when a hand grabbed his ankle. Gavin was lightning quick as he twisted and dug his heel into the creature's deformed face. It let go with a sickening _squelch_.

 

Gavin crawled until his knees grew sore. He laid down in the tunnel to catch his breath and get himself together. Tears plopped onto the bronzed metal.

 

He was lucky this time, but that luck wouldn't last forever.

 

~*~

 

Gavin didn't know how long they had been waiting for him but it was a damn ambush when he got back to [Arcadia](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadia). He'd stopped at his room to change his clothes but the moment he'd come out to breathe in the fresh smell of Rapture's oxygen tank he'd been seized. The Splicers were dressed in ratty suits with long-eared, ornamental rabbit [masks](http://bioshockfiles.home.bresnan.net/ps.jpg) that covered their faces but showed their hungry mouths. He knew those masks – these were [Cohen](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Sander_Cohen)'s men, that fruity batshit bastard down in Fort Frolic. Despite his screaming and thrashing, Gavin was dragged down onto the grass and surrounded in seconds.

 

“Boss is gonna' love this,” the only female snickered wildly. “His own little ADAM machine. Boss can dress him in sequins and string him up and we'll take whacks at him like a pinata. He'll _drip_ for us.”

 

They ripped the ADAM extractor from his hands and then his wrists were seized, fingers clenched into fists but useless as he strained against their hold.

 

“But first we have to inspect the goods,” another drawled with a filthy grin. Another Splicer's palm shot down and ground hard on Gavin's throat to make the boy choke and sputter. His long legs were kicked apart and the beaded tassels on his knee-length moccasins rattled noisily. Gavin's lower lip trembled and he sniffled back tears but they were already mocking.

 

“Poor little baby.”

 

“He needs _rocked_.”

 

“I've got some milk for him.”

 

“Leave me alone,” Gavin begged, ears and cheeks burning as their beady eyes flicked down to where his skirt had rucked up. His knees and ankles were grabbed and _spread_ so shamelessly to show off the cotton and lace trim of his panties. _This is it. They're going to rip me to pieces._

 

One of the thicker Splicers dropped down on his knees between the boy's legs and smirked as he dug a hand up his last unripped skirt. Filthy nails clawed at his dainty underwear. It ripped and the sound echoed in his ears, heart picking up its even more until he started to sob around hitched breaths. The fabric dug into his hips before it gave and the sting made him jerk. He was terrifyingly exposed now and the way they grabbed at him more and hissed out more filthy talk only made it worse.

 

His limp cock was fondled and he shrieked, limbs pulling hard at the vice grips but it was fruitless. Their jagged nails cut into his skin and the smell of his own blood brought a whimper to his lips.

 

“Look at the little girl's clit,” one crooned in a honeyed, mocking voice.

 

“I'm not a _girl_!” Gavin barked as he yanked his foot free and kicked out. He was openly laughed at before his ankle was grasped once more and forced flat on the ground.

 

“No!” Gavin's voice cracked as he heaved against the forceful fingers until the _pop_ of capillaries was almost audible. The Splicer between his legs smirked down at him and started opening his own pants like it was all a casual show.

 

“Little girl's got no Big Daddy,” he tisked. “Don't worry, pretty, I'll take care of you.”

 

“Hey assholes!”

 

Half a dozen heads shot up at the unfamiliar voice. The female Splicer shrieked when she caught sight of a snarling Big Daddy and the rest froze stock still. Gavin raised his head to see the man for himself. And a _man_ he was. There was no grill, no lights, no dive suit – he face was handsome with dark beard and a wild crop of hair. He looked _livid_.

 

The loveliest creature Gavin had ever seen was standing next to the hulking man. It was a beautiful boy with a cherub face and sweet curls, an ugly scowl, and a rose-red bow tied into his hair. He was a ray of sunshine in this horrible situation, a perfect doll – all stockings and soft clothing and ruddy cheeks, eyes glowing so brightly there was a cringe upon looking right at them.

 

He was another Little Brother, and he had a full Eve Hypo in his hand.

 

There was a pregnant pause and then the little doll's voice rang deadpan in the room. “Get 'em, Daddy.”

 

The Hypo plunged into the Big Daddy's arm and he glowed all over, air rushing around his fists before the Splicers were seized in an invisible, telekinetic grip and thrown across the room. He charged with a whirring drill and an electrified fist, digging into their soft bodies with relish. Gavin shuddered at the rush of power all around him but he was left untouched and laying upon the grass – alone.

 

But then the other, more beautiful Little Brother rushed up and knelt at his side, stockings getting smeared with dirt and wrathful expression morphing into one of great concern. A velvet handkerchief was pulled out of the boy's skirt pocket and was rubbed across Gavin's filthy, wet cheeks to mop up his tears.

 

“Hush, little dove, no tears,” the other Little Brother cooed. It sounded like the whisper of angels and Gavin melted into the gentle hands that urged him to sit up. His head dropped onto the other's shoulder, silk blouse brushing his smooth jaw. The boy's hands felt buttery smooth on Gavin's arm as they rubbed through his hair and down the back of his neck.

 

“What...?” Gavin trailed off in relief as the other boy smoothed down his skirt to hide his modesty. His eyes were dabbed at with the luxury cloth once more and it felt like a kiss.

 

“Look at what you did to you.” Gavin found himself being nuzzled and he wasn't sure whether to sob or pass out against the sweet smelling boy. “They ripped your pretty underwear.”

 

Polished nails ran over his cheek. “Don't worry, dove, I have spares.”

 

Gavin was mystified as he was loved on and whispered to by the other. Little Brothers almost never talked to him. Since the Daddies stayed away from him the boys followed by example. He'd been alone for years and the touches felt nice. When he raised his head it was to a nice view of dead, pulverized Splicers. The pale Little Brother helped him to his feet and brushed him before fixing his own clothes. There was something erotic about the the crimson silk against such milky skin but the cling of his tulip skirt along his hips and thighs was ivory white, projecting an air of innocence and drawing his eyes. He blushed at how good the other Little Brother looked.

 

“I like your shoes. How kitsch,” the boy giggled as he looked over his moccasins. “What long legs. My name's Michael.”

 

Gavin blinked the stars from his eyes. “Gavin. M-My name, I mean. It's Gavin.”

 

Michael's full lips puckered in surprise. “That accent, how exotic. What's a cute bird like you doing without your Daddy? Do you know where he is?”

 

Gavin chewed his lip. He could taste the salt of tears clinging to them. “He... _died_.”

 

Michael placed a hand over his heart, expression crumbling. “Oh, Gavin. You're alone? No other Big Daddy has adopted you?”

 

Gavin shook his head and watched the last of the Splicers get their head crushed in by one massive, gloved hand. The Daddy there was nothing like he'd ever seen. He was large, yes, but human too. When the man turned to look at him there was a thick smear of blood on his cheek and an ugly scowl twisting his lips. “No Daddy like _that_. Is he really a Big Daddy? He looks kind of human.”

 

“I promise you, he's a great Daddy,” Michael swore.

 

Gavin tensed as the man approached them with heavy steps. The boy hid behind Michael's shoulder and could barely keep his gaze raised as the Daddy came up to loom over their heads. With a careless swipe the thick smear of blood on his face was rubbed away with only a touch of pink left behind.

 

“Geoff.” Michael twined their arms and forced Gavin up closer, plastered up against his side to keep him from running off, “This is Gavin. He lost his Big Daddy. We should keep him! Get him all cleaned up and get him into some new clothes.”

 

Geoff raised a brow so his boy pushed Gavin out to be properly looked over. Geoff slowly circled the new Little Brother and he tried not to tremble under the heated stare. Covered fingers brushed the hem of his skirt but he didn't pull away.

  
“Your skirt's shorter than Michael's,” Geoff observed, barely touching the swell of the unique boy's cheeks and bringing out a shiver. “Sensitive.” He got back around to the front and tucked the back of his hand under his chin so he could see Gavin's clever, green eyes. Geoff's thumb touched his tiny lip and he liked the fire he saw flicker in those unique orbs. “Special lad. I can protect you if you want, Little Boy. But if you'd prefer to go off on your own again, I won't stop you.”

 

Michael frowned. “Daddy!”

 

“Look at this wild one,” Geoff chuckled as he patted Gavin's cheek just a little too hard. “He can take care of himself, Michael. He's been doing it for a while from what I can tell. If your little dove here doesn't want to go with us, you can't make him.”

 

Michael huffed and got between his Daddy and Gavin, pouting cutely and putting his hands on the other's shoulders. “Come with us, Gavin. We can take care of you. Daddy won't have to do anything.  _I'll_ watch out for you.”

 

“I'm not a puppy,” Gavin protested weakly.

 

“Of course not,” Michael promised quickly. “You're my new friend. Friends take care of each other. Let me help?”

 

Gavin closed his eyes and realized just how painfully tired he was. His body ached in places he couldn't name. He didn't eat but he felt _hungry_ and these touches, these words, were satisfying.

 

“It's really okay if I come along?” Gavin inquired shyly. “Having another Little Brother around won't be too much?”

 

Geoff shrugged with a half smile. “It'd be no problem. We'd love to have you.”

 

“Then...maybe...” Gavin chewed harshly at his lip. “I mean, if you don't mind. I-I haven't had anyone in so long. I don't want to bother you though.”

 

“But you would like to come along?” Geoff pressed teasingly.

 

Gavin nodded and bowed his head. “I would.”

 

Michael's squeal of happiness surprised him but it was a pleasant sound and it brought a smile to his face. He was enveloped in a silky hug and sticky lips smacked against his cheek.

 

“We'll get you a bath first! Daddy, grab him some clothes.”

 

~*~

 

They took him to a fountain near wherever they called home and Gavin was quickly reduced to stutters. Michael had reached the stone edge and stripped himself down to nothing but what he came into this world with. Gavin had turned beet red at the sight of fleshy cheeks and thighs that had such an enticing flush. Michael was covered in freckles that seemed to call for a mouth to map them like constellations. When he turned around and beckoned Gavin into the water he showed off hard peaks the color of tasty strawberry taffy and a cock to match. The flesh called him to him even stronger than the freckles had. He just looked so _soft_ all over and he barely had a thatch of ginger curls above his limp flesh and barely any along his legs.

 

Gavin suddenly felt self-conscious about the light fur he had on his own belly that led in a treasure trail to his own stiffening cock. He tried to hold himself back, to keep out of the reach of those polished fingers, but his arm was snatched and then his clothes were falling away.

 

“Michael, no, please-!”

 

His ruined skirt was ripped the rest of the way off and he squawked. A lemon shaped and smelling bar of soap was rubbed all over him. Lathered fingers rubbed over his arms and ribs, his thighs, and through his hair. He was dragged under the freezing sputter of water that rained down from the statue in the middle of the fountain. The boy would have thought he was being tortured if Michael's giggles hadn't surrounded him like spun sugar.

 

Everything about Michael reminded him of candy and he let the Little Brother hold him close, naked flesh pressed tight. Soapy fingers cupped over Gavin's cock and rubbed all over. He tried not to squeal but he did push back into the other in a half-hearted attempt to get away.

 

“We need to get you _clean_ ,” Michael insisted pleasantly as he re-soaped his fingers and slid them between the boy's cheeks. Gavin whimpered and buried his face in the boy's drenched shoulder, trying so much to keep from getting hard as his hole was lightly massaged. “I've got you.”

 

After an embarrassing amount of “cleaning”, Gavin waded out to find clean clothes waiting for him. They looked fresh out of a package. Crisp cargo shorts and a short sleeved shirt with a collar that matched his eyes., boy underwear and socks and tennis shoes. They weren't his usual, or what he preferred, but they were warm when he put them on.

 

~*~

 

It was a long climb up to their home and it had sapped the last of his strength. Gavin was still sensitive and chilled from the cold water. His knees had grown sore from bronze tunnels. But the apartment they'd spilled into was amazing. Nearly intact and furnished, and the bedroom was like something out of a picture book. There was an array of pictures taped up on the walls, each image more beautiful than the last. There was a clawfoot basin by the wall beside an ivory vanity with an assortment of pretty glass bottles and tubes, brushes and ribbons. There was a nice record player on a table by the bed.

 

And the _bed_. It was so large and round with an ocean of pink and red silk sheets. Squishy pillows were scattered all over it as if someone has casually lounged upon them recently. Two shelves were mounted above the bed and there was a collection of pristine stuffed animals there, gazing upon him with sympathy in a strange welcome part.

 

Geoff left them to go patrol the nearby floors and clear them out.

 

Michael led Gavin by the hand and babbled about the apartment, how Geoff had found it for him and brought him all the goodies that were here. The boy yawned, though he swore that he loved it, and Michael hushed himself up.

 

“We'll take a long nap and then we'll get you some real clothes,” Michael promised as he dragged the other onto the bed, laughing at his hesitation. “Come on now, Gavin. This is your bed now too.”

 

“This is much too grand for me,” Gavin protested.

 

“Nonsense,” Michael tisked. He tugged the other down so hard he sprawled all over the mattress. “There we are. Now get up here.”

 

Gavin found himself pulled up onto the pillows with a gorgeous starlet snuggled up behind him as the big spoon. Pale fingers danced chastely over his arm and side. Everything was so incredibly perfect – the smell of delicate perfume in the pillows, the silken rasp of the sheets, the give of the mattress. Gavin's lids started to fall despite his effort to stay awake.

 

Michael pecked a kiss on his cheek. “You rest. I'll watch over you.”

 

Gavin yawned and dragged a pillow into his arms, allowing himself the pleasure of snuggling back into the soft Little Brother. Michael hummed at the trusting gesture and curls tickled the smaller boy's throat. As he started to doze, he heard the other singing quietly to himself.

 

“And there was a bridge over the sky, and trains when it rains...”

 

~*~

 

Gavin wasn't sure how long he slept but he felt much more light-hearted when he started to wake up (though still tired). Everything felt like a cloud under him, the delicate scent of flowers and lace teasing his nose. He stretched briefly before flopping onto his back, lashes twitching as he tried to open his eyes.

 

“Did you have a nice sleep?”

 

A warm weight settled on his hips before lips slid against his own. He cracked an eye open to see a Little Brother sitting on top of him. “Michael?”

 

“I like how you say my name. _Micoo'_ ,” Michael chuckled. They kissed again and Gavin let himself enjoy it. He'd never kissed anyone before and it was just as smooth as he'd always imagined. The way the other boy laid on top of him made him tingle. He started to shift and dared to laid his hands on his waist, fingers pinching the silk blouse to feel the rich material properly. The innocent kiss took a turn as Michael's tongue flicked along his lip.

 

“I've never-” Gavin's muttered words cut off in a slight gasp as the wet muscle dipped into his mouth. It was awkward at first, he had no idea what to do, but after some gentle prodding he picked up the rhythm. It was a silky slide and he felt twined, hips slowly starting to mimic the dance. They were pressed close and eventually Michael growled a little in frustration.

 

“These stupid clothes,” Michael puffed hotly against his mouth. Gavin gaped as his shirt was grabbed under the bottom and yanked up over his head. His arms got caught in the material and Michael held it there, balling up the shirt and twisting it until the smaller boy started to arch up. His bare chest was admired and got a few kisses peppered across it in a silent _thank_ _you_ for allowing him the privilege.

 

“Michael,” Gavin chirped as his nipple was given a tiny kiss.

 

“I'm sorry.” Michael eased the boy's shirt the rest of the way off and tossed it aside. He sat up and smiled reassuringly before he started working off those baggy shorts. Gavin tried to hide his blushing cheeks as the shorts were wiggled down his legs and discarded. “I have some new panties for you. Can I put them on?”

 

Gavin's brows knit in confusion. “Put them on _me_?”

 

“Oh pretty please!” Michael begged. “They're one of my favorite and they'd look so nice on you!”

 

Gavin gaped as the other boy unzipped his skirt and dragged it up around his hips to show off his own panties. They were a savory chocolate brown with white trim and a bow above the soft mound of his hidden flesh. Gavin's fingers inched toward them and he had wondered what had come over him. He'd never been so lustful before. _What naughty boys we are._

 

“Do you like these?”

 

Gavin nodded dumbly.

 

“Good.”

 

Michael bounced up and went to the dresser, skirt sliding off his thighs and getting kicked away with stockinged feet. Gavin's eyes followed the dark seam that ran perfectly all the way up the other's legs, shear material tinting the flesh to look air brushed and flawless. He dragged a sheet up to cover his skinny body with a shameful frown. He looked nothing like Michael – too thin, too hairy, just boring with his wild hair and thin lips.

 

Michael was plump all over like a proper little lady and he was pale in comparison.

 

“Here we are!” Michael declared as he pulled out a pair of forest green panties that matched his own in looks. He all but ran over and dove onto the smaller boy without a chance for him to get away. Michael moved quickly and got the other boy's feet into the proper holes. The panties scraped up and left goosebumps in their wake. Efficient fingers tucked Gavin away inside the silk and he tried to protest but it was done before he could get more than a word or two out. He'd never been touched so liberally and for some reason it made him feel special.

 

“How gorgeous,” the boy drawled as he looked Gavin over from top to bottom. “Much more appropriate. Now get up, Gav, I found clothes for you while you slept!”

 

Gavin had to let go of the sheet as his hands were taken to pull him off the bed. He was encouraged to sit at the vanity as Michael took up a bottle of cream and pumped it across his fingers. “What are you doing?”

 

“Taking care of you,” Michael giggled like it was obvious. He started rubbing his hands into Gavin's shoulders and worked his way down all the way to his very fingertips. The cream was worked into his skin and it grew supple with each pass. Gavin was stiff at first but when liquid as the other boy massaged thumbs into his muscles to put him at ease. The lotion smelled a little like flowers and it was spread across his shoulder blades and back, his tummy, and all along his chest. Michael tweaked his nipple with a cheeky grin but gave him a little kiss on the cheek as an apology. Gavin felt himself soften up inch by inch until he felt like he truly did belong in such a pretty room. Michael's fingers were overly gentle when they finally rubbed at his throat. They worked their way up until they touched his cheeks, the other boy's face hovering close and so full of joy that he couldn't help but smile back.

 

“Perfect,” Michael praised as he smoothed away all the rough patches with just a few strokes of lotion-covered fingers. “A cute face like this doesn't need any make up, I'm jealous. I was trying to think of what I have but it's all useless. Your lips are already so pink and your cheeks are _sharp_. There isn't enough powder in the world to give me such cheekbones. “

 

“Stop it, Michael,” Gavin protested bashfully. “Don't say stuff you don't mean.”

 

The other boy pouted. “You think I'm lying?”

 

Gavin glanced at his reflection and frowned. “I...I just know I'm not much to look at.”

 

“What in God's great ocean gave you that idea, silly?” Micheal beamed at him before rubbing their noses together. “You are _everything_ to look at. There's a universe in your eyes alone.” He cleared his throat and his glowing gaze darted away with a sudden bout of nerves. “The, uh, skirt you had was tiered and if you like those I have some that might fit you. Your cute boots are in the other room, just so you know. Geoff saved them. We can go back for any other things you have but I found something to get you by until you get your own stuff.”

 

Michael cut off his nervous babbling and got up to snatch a pile of folded clothes off one of the chairs. He set it on the vanity before he put on a record with slow, sexy sax and a baseline that matched the rhythm of their hearts. Gavin was considerably more relaxed as he watched Michael kneel before him and slide semi-shear black tights up his long legs. They had a few rips in them but they made his insides feel all _fluttery_. Obscenely short jean shorts were put over them and the contrast was nice.

 

“I've never worn these but I couldn't let them out of my sight, they were too pretty,” Michael declared as he showed off a strappy shoe.

 

“Are those sandals?”

 

Michael sneered. “ _Please_ , Gav, give me a little credit. Gladiator boots. Greek clothing was all the rage in these suits. Apropos.”

 

Gavin cooed at the lovely bronze-like color and how they shimmered like gold in the tinted light. They went high up the stockings and would have looked silly if they weren't so _perfect_.

 

“And _this_!” Michael brandished a billowy white shirt before getting the other boy to stand up. “Just put it on. I know it'll be so pretty.”

 

Gavin obeyed and his mouth dropped open once the fabric had settled. “It's so lovely, Michael. I don't deserve such nice things.”

 

Michael hushed him and smoothed out the shirt, tugging it this way and that until it finally sat right. The sleeves hung loose around his wrists and they slowly tapered off to resemble wings. There were either vague black markings that resembled feathers on the inside and he couldn't swallow his happy, surprised chirp. They were slit delicately to allow for a greater range of movement.

 

“Little dove,” Michael purred as he came up behind him and held up a clip. The fake sunflower was pinned in the thickest of his hair and it was like a cherry on top. “To remind you where you came from. Of Arcadia.”

 

“Michael, you...no one's ever...” Gavin teared up. “Why are you doing this for me?”

 

Michael fluffed up the other boy's hair before touching his lower lip, encouraging him to smile. “Because I consider us blessed to have come across you like we did. You're a gift and I like to treasure my gifts.” He fiddled with the other's collar where it laid to expose his shoulder. “And, maybe, if I make you happy...you'll stay.”

 

Gavin's heart swelled and he turned to envelope the other boy in a hug. It was much too tight and he sniffled loudly to swallow back tears, but there was love there.

 

Michael sighed in relief and hugged his new friend back. He had always wanted a family, and he knew Geoff wished for more company. This unclaimed Little Brother appealed to his heart from the second he'd laid eyes on him and he didn't want to let him go.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Michael showed Gavin the joy of the vent that acted like a slide and they popped out of the tunnel one at a time practically _screaming_ with laughter. Geoff met them with a pleased smile and complimented how the new Little Brother looked. Gavin blushed and clutching the other boy's arm as he stuttered out a thank you. Geoff offered them each a hand. That's when the differences between the Little Brothers showed. Michael preferred to be scooped up by his Daddy, either to rest draped over his shoulder or cling to the straps across his back from the shoulder guards, but Gavin was a thin little wisp of a thing and proved a liking for climbing up on the man's back with no problem at all.

 

“Spider monkey,” Geoff had chuckled as the Little Brother clung tight to his back and tucked into the curve of his spine.

 

“We're going to have to get some kind of holster, Daddy,” Michael stated as he decided to walk to give his Daddy free hands.

 

“I think you're right about that, doll baby.”

 

They went out into the city for the purpose of finding Gavin clothes of his own. Geoff took them to the most intact line of stores and (after checking) let them half free roam. The two boys split up.

 

Gavin hesitantly walked through the remains of one of the fanciest clothing stores he'd ever seen. There was an itch in the back of his mind, a skitter that echoed between his ears. It had started once they'd come into the area but he'd tried to ignore it when he saw his companions lack of reaction. It was a scraping sound, metal on metal, and the smell of overheated iron just so faintly in the air. But if Geoff wasn't worried, neither was he. Instead he rifled through a display and found a pair of tiny, silken shorts that were the color of a robin's egg. They were shoved into his bag after only a moment of being admired. He grabbed a few other things before the sound got louder.

 

Gavin darted out of the shop and spotted Michael much too far away from Geoff. The Daddy refueling his drill extension and wasn't looking. It all clicked into place and his legs shot him forward without an ounce of hesitation. The skittering got louder and scraped inside his ears. Michael picked his head up, peach-rouged lips pursing.

 

“Gavin?”

 

He took Michael down with one mighty tackle and they went to the floor with breathless whooshes of breath. Gavin rolled off the whimpering boy and snatched up the other's ADAM extractor, whipping around with the needle extending and thrusting forward with a wet _squelch._ The momentum of the blow put him on his back but he smirked triumphantly.

 

Two of a rabbit mask fell away to reveal the deformed face of a sneaky little Spider Splicer. Glowing red hooks clattered the ground, a well of chunky blood coming from surprised lips. The extractor needle was right between its eyes.

 

Geoff flared with the promise of Plasmid but he froze when he saw his newest Little Brother shove the end of an ADAM extractor through the head of a Spider Splicer that had fallen from the ceiling. He hadn't heard it or even seen a glimpse of it, even with his night vision. Gavin had moved so quickly he hadn't been sure what the boy was doing but he'd _saved_ Michael.

 

Michael gaped openly at the body as Gavin heaved it away from him. Somehow he'd managed to keep blood from getting on his pretty white shirt but his tights were ruined. The corpse was seized and thrown away by his Daddy telekinetic force before the man dropped to his knees between them. Even kneeling he towered over them.

 

“You...” Geoff grabbed Gavin by the jaw and burned a kiss across his pliant lips. The boy whimpered at the intensity and let him plunder his mouth. Their foreheads bumped and the Daddy's gaze threatened to brand him. “You saved Michael. I didn't see him, I didn't...the _ears_ you have. I've never seen a little survivor like you before. Thank you, boy.”

 

The heartfelt words made Gavin smile like a dope and he accepted another kiss.

 

Michael muscled his way in and stole a kiss as well, desperation making his fingers tremble. “You killed for me. God, Gavin, my boy, I can't believe it. You were _fearless_.”

 

“I heard him when we got here,” Gavin admitted sheepishly under their attention. “I couldn't let him hurt you, Michael.”

 

“Hurt?” Geoff repeated. “It would've _killed_ him. You kept Michael from having his belly ripped open.” His Little Boy cringed at the image. “Sorry, baby.”

 

Feeling more protective, Geoff called the trip off and made the decision to head back. He scooped Michael up and put him on his back while Gavin was swept up into his arms with an affectionate nuzzle. They were taken back to the vent that led to the apartment and Michael was shaken up by then. He was soundly kissed by his Daddy and carefully eased up into the vent, Gavin finally closely after he promised Geoff he would take care of the other.

 

“Gavin.” The Big Daddy touched his arm before he heaved himself up into the vent and he paused. “He likes to retreat when he gets a scare like this. Try not to be offended, he doesn't mean anything by it. He just deals with it in his own way.”

 

Gavin shyly pressed a kiss to the man's bearded jaw. “Yes, Daddy.”

 

“Get up there, you little tart. I'll join you in a minute.”

 

~*~

 

While Gavin changed into some silky sleep pants (courtesy of the clothes Michael had found for him) and a plain shirt, he heard the couple whispering in the bedroom. Michael's voice was much too high pitched from the strain of the encounter, more unnerved than upset. He waited a minute or two before he walked into the bedroom.

 

Michael was quietly going through his record collection but Geoff was sitting at the edge of the bed, shirtless with his suspenders pooling around his hips. He looked weary but relieved, ready for a rest.

 

“Boy,” Geoff called, patting the bed, “Come over here with me.”

 

Gavin glanced nervously at the other boy as he walked over. He got a soft look but no words. Geoff's arms were burly as they circled around him and the leftover adrenaline from the Splicer encounter melted away. Gavin slumped bonelessly into the bed and the Big Daddy ( _his_ Daddy) curled up behind him. While Geoff snuffled playfully into his hair, muttering about how nice he smelled, a record was scratched on.

 

Gavin watched the other boy start to run a cloth wet from the basin over his long arms and graceful neck. Michael looked painfully blank as he went through the emotions, hips moving softly to the music. After the boy deemed himself refreshed, he plopped down at the vanity and cracked open a jar of cream.

 

_'...like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock as it stands against the wall. Like the drip, drop, drip of the raindrops when the summer shower is through. So a voice within me keeps repeating; you, you, you.'_

 

Gavin watched the graceful movements for as long as he could before his lids became too heavy and the Big Daddy's heat lulled him into a doze. The soft pink light, the little waft of vanilla from the lotion, Geoff spooning up so securely to him – Gavin didn't stand a chance. The boy's eyes fell shut and he drifted, time trickling away like water.

 

When he opened them again the song was different, instrumental and full of violin. Geoff's face was tucked into his throat and fast asleep, beard tickling the skin. Michael was still at the vanity now reading a ratty book with a suggestive cover. His cheeks were flushed without any rouge and his lashes were low as his eyes danced over each line.

 

The next time he awoke Geoff was gone, his spot cold, and Michael was crawling into the bed. Panic made his breath hitch but he was pacified as the other boy's soft body pressed up along his own. Michael kissed his shoulder before laying his head on the pillow too.

 

“He went out on patrol,” Michael answered the question in his eyes. “Don't worry, Gavin. We're safe here. I'm sorry about earlier...I didn't show you how much I appreciate what you did. My brave boy.” There was a few seconds of pause before he pressed an achingly sweet kiss on his lips. “My brave _man_ protecting his little lady.”

 

Gavin colored up and he quickly tucked his hot face under the other's chin. “Michael...”

 

Michael scratched through his hair. “I'm so glad I have you now, Gavin. You're going to be so happy here.”

 

 

 

 


	5. The Start of a Family - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin gets welcomed into the family all nice and proper. But we learn it's not all hearts and flowers. Something's...off with Gavin's hormones. Is he dysfunctional or unique? Is he broken, or made for bigger and better things?

**Lots of things to say. First, thank you so much for your support, WOW. The comments, the kudos, the fanart, the[fanmix](http://speaksarcastically.tumblr.com/post/106524759677/would-you-kindly-daddy-a-mix-based-of) that speaksarcastically did (you're a peach and a sweetheart), all the wonderful messages of support and love on [my Tumblr](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/). You guys, for sure, are the best readers an author could ask for. I am stunned by the response from this fic. Thank you, [literallynsfw](http://literallynsfw.tumblr.com/), without you half of these wonderful people wouldn't be here. Thanks to my boi, Shishi, and Z for feeding me ideas and wonders. And [agentchurch](http://agentchurch.tumblr.com/), a thank you, a new friend, who will provide many fluffy headcanons for this fic  
**   
**If you read nothing else, read this, to clear up some questions. The "Jack" that has been mentioned in previous chapters is[this person](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Jack). Our beloved Jack Patillo isn't in this fic. How Jack relates to the fic will be revealed soon-ish. For everyone reading this fic having NO idea about Bioshock, I sincerely apologize, and will provide links and guidelines so you can have a decent read.**   
  
**CHECK THE BOTTOM NOTES - It has been twelve years since the New York riots that turned Rapture from a plentiful city into the hellhole we know now. So that means it's presently about 1965. It's been five years since Jack from Bioshock has been in the city. Hope that clears up something? If that made more questions I'm sorry**

* * *

 

 

It had been two days of rest and relaxation. Gavin had needed it more than he'd known and by his third day there he felt good as new. He had a fresh injection of ADAM in him and the taste of rare chocolate on the back of his tongue courtesy of his fellow Little Brother's smooth fingers. Michael had spoiled him and Geoff had given him all the tools to do so – new clothes, fresh sheets, more pillows, and candy. Everything two Little Boys could need to have fun. They played dress up and fiddled around with all of Michael's make up, seeing what they could share. Gavin decided quickly that he wasn't a big fan of the cosmetics except for some of the muskier perfumes and the shiny lip glosses.

 

Michael had convinced him to wear a classic flapper dress and he'd sneered at his reflection the moment he'd seen it.

 

“You don't like it?” Michael had inquired after zipping him up.

 

“It's not...I mean, it's beautiful. You'd look great in it.” He'd barely gotten the words out before he'd grit his teeth and paled. He'd seen the blood drain out of his own face. Gavin's skin had gone clammy, fingers balling into fists. Everything had felt so wrong and his voice had gotten tight. “Get it off me, Michael. Get this bloody thing _off me._ ”

 

Michael had helped him out of it with experienced hands and they had sat together on the bed afterwords, the other boy rubbing his back as he'd calmed down and apologized for overreacting.

 

“Do you not like these kinds of clothes?” Michael had asked quietly, trying not to offend.

 

“Maybe not something that...feminine,” Gavin had tried to explain, hoping he didn't ruffle the other's feathers. “I love my skirts and stuff but I'm still a Little _Boy_ , Michael.”

 

He'd been so conflicted and hadn't been able to meet his friend's eyes. The urge to be beautiful and delicate had been inside him for as long as he could remember, and apparently in other Little Brothers as well. But something about some of the things Michael wore inspired more lust in him than it did a desire to have it on his own body.

 

Gavin currently was easing from Michael's sleeping arms and out of the bed. He pulled on a large sweater that fluttered around his thighs before he went out into the living room. It had been painfully cleaned up and the furniture had obviously been taken from other areas but it was nice. He went over to the nearest window and looked out at the ocean. A corner suite – how fitting. The cold rolling off the glass was refreshing.

 

The front door opened and he tensed up but it was just Geoff with a bulging side bag. He looked guilty, like he'd been spotted red-handed with a cookie jar or a good time gal, but his smile was positively boyish. “Aw, Gavin, you caught me.”

 

The boy perked up. “I did?”

 

“Michael told me about earlier and I wanted to get you something to make you feel more welcome,” Geoff admitted with some faint color to his cheeks, the slight grey tint doing nothing to mask it. “I love my Little Boy with everything he is. Garters and dresses and all. We'd never pressure you. And if you don't like what I call you then you should tell me.”

 

Gavin sighed sweetly. He knew what Geoff was talking about. The man liked to call Michael lots of fluffy names (some made him blush and others had his blood flow hot) and he'd referred to Gavin as _boy_ since they'd met. He'd never once corrected him because he'd never felt offended by the pet names.

 

“I may wear a bit of frill, Daddy, but I know and like what's between my legs and in my head. Sometimes I get confused...” He trailed off and fiddled with his sweater sleeve. “It used to happen a lot when I first went out on my own. I'd get sad when there wasn't something more on my chest or think about all the babies I couldn't have. But I'm happy feeling like a boy all the way through, Daddy. If the other Little Brothers out there are more like Michael, then I'm even happier for them. He's just the bee's knees, like he stepped out of the movie screen. I can't be like him, I don't know if I want to, but I love ever inch of him too.”

 

“He's such a doll,” Gavin chuckled fondly. He slowly approached the Little Boy like he was afraid he'd frighten him off but Gavin raised his chin and made it abundantly clear that he wasn't going anywhere. The Big Daddy stood there awkwardly before he offered his bag and flipped open the flap. Gavin took it gratefully and dug through it, happy to see his own toothbrush in a package and some skinny jeans that looked about his size, some cherry chapstick and simply cut underwear, and-

 

“Egg?”

 

Gavin's mouth dropped open and the bag fell carelessly to the floor as he wrapped his arms around his stuffed giraffe. He stared in shock at his Big Daddy even as his fingers stroked over the velveteen limbs of the animal.

 

“You told me roughly where your room was and none of it really seemed salvageable, it can all be replaced.” Geoff unstrapped his glove and tapped a bare finger against the plushie's back. “Except for this little guy. He looked like he was waiting for you to get back.”

 

“Geoff.” Gavin squeezed the toy harder and tried not to let his lip wobble. “ _Daddy_.”

 

Geoff laid a hand on the back of the boy's head and urged him closer. Gavin's forehead bumped against his large chest and there was a tiny sigh of contentment. There were words of gratitude sticking in the boy's throat and the Big Daddy quietly hushed him when he started making little whining sounds.

  
“There isn't a need for all that,” Geoff promised. “You're my Little Boy now.”

 

“You know I'm not.”

 

Geoff tensed but it all faded with a long, drawn-out breath. That was something he'd hoped not to address. With Michael, there was a pull like a fish hook in his heart that was firmly attached to the Little Brother right down to his DNA. It was in his sweat and tears and blood – in the ADAM he produced. Gavin called to him in a way but it wasn't like anything he'd experienced before. Michael was his forever and they were thoroughly bonded, linked, but with Gavin it felt temporary. Like he was babysitting, taking care of him until his...

 

“I wish I was.”

 

_Until his real Daddy comes along._

 

“Thank you,” Gavin butted his head up more firmly. “The fact that you want to be my Daddy...it means so much to me. G-Geoff.” His voice shattered on the man's name. It was true. There wasn't a tug there like others had described. He didn't want to run away from Geoff, he wasn't scared of him, but there wasn't quite the unquenchable _need_ to be around him. He felt love for the man, desire, trust, and it would already hurt to lose him, but he would be able to go on. “It all feels so _temporary_. God below, what's wrong with me? Where's my Big Daddy? Why doesn't anyone...why don't they _want_ me? What's so _wrong_ with me?”

 

Geoff swept him up into his arms with a flourish and kissed him on the forehead. “ _I_ want you, Little Boy. And even if we can't bond, even if we're not made for each other, I want you right here with us.”

 

Gavin blinked up at the man and there was such affection in his face that it made him flush. “You _really_ do mean that.”

 

Geoff scratched his blunt nails along the boy's nape to make him hum. “Silly boy. You've been alone too long. We'll show you how to trust again.”

 

The boy stepped back and broke out in a bright smile. “I've got ADAM for you, Daddy.”

 

He raised a brow at the sudden declaration. “Do you?”

 

“What do you think I've been doing with all the ADAM I've collected without a Big Daddy to give it to?”

 

~*~

 

Gavin led Geoff and Michael to a thick safe in an office close to Arcadia. The combo was a dozen digits long but he had them memorized.

 

“I found the combination a while ago and never forgot,” Gavin casually admitted as he pulled open the door.

 

Seven full jars of ADAM lay inside.

 

Michael boggled at the display. “Wowie.”

 

Geoff whistled in appreciation. “Our little dove's a _scavenger_. A hawk in sheep's clothing.”

 

~*~

 

And it was true. Michael heard the siren call of ADAM as strongly as anyone else, maybe more so, but Gavin had a great nose for it. He was a very efficient blood hound.

 

Despite the new haul of ADAM they decided to pursue a hot scent. Two bodies, side by side, and they were glowing like they were begging to be drained. Geoff cleared the entire floor with only a few Splicers falling under his gun. Michael waited until his Daddy was enraptured with the sensual display of Gavin slowly draining one of the “sleeping angels” before he snuck off. There was a shop he'd had his eyes on since they'd come into the area and he couldn't leave without at least picking through it. The sign was half burnt but the French script left was clearly from one of the higher-end shops.

 

Michael was cautious at first, hesitantly looking around for any sign of a hiding enemy, but the place looked pretty abandoned. It could have been in worse shape. The shop was small and it seemed to have escaped the usual raid and destruction. He went behind the abandoned counter and pulled out a couple of slim boxes. They were simple at first, a pair of silk stockings and some purple lace underwear that looked about his size. Both items were put in his purse to take home.

 

The last box was something special. The words _vintage collection_ were scrawled across the lid and it drew his attention. He popped it open and audibly awed at what he found. It was a [brasserie](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0258/4925/products/DSCN1097_1024x1024.jpg?v=1379019110) the color of unripe peaches, a delicate pink complimented the lace that made up most of the cups and the bridge that would cut across the cleavage. It was made for very small chested, petite woman and when he felt it up the material gave enough to give him hope that it would fit his own chest. No bones, no padding.

 

_I wonder if I should...? I've never had one before. Would it look good?_

 

Michael guiltily shoved the lacy material into his bag. He would wait until he was alone before he gave that garment a try. He felt a little ashamed of the bold choice so he pushed it down and headed over to the corner of the store to get into a large box of excess stock. It seemed as if someone was trying to replenish the shelves before being interrupted. The whole thing was stuffed with garter belts in every shade of color he could want. They were all satin and gorgeous. He started to pick through them, trying to figure out which colors he had and what ones were new.

 

He was debating on some garters that matched the brassiere when a shadow fell over him. Michael turned on the points of his heels and blanched, falling back until butt hit the floor. _Spilcer_. Tall and putrid and covered in tumors. He scurried until he smacked into the wall, chest heaving as he sucked in a breath to scream. The sound fizzled out when large, gloved hands shot out and cleanly snapped the Splicer's neck. The body fell like a sack of potatoes and revealed his Daddy, looming and scowling.

 

Michael bowed his head in supplication as Geoff bent at the waist and braced his hands on his own knees, tisking sharply to make the boy look up at him. When he spoke, his voice was painfully calm and monotone. “What have I said about running off?”

 

“Daddy-”

 

“ _Michael_ ,” Geoff cut him off harshly, “What have I said about running off?”

 

Michael chewed his lip nervously. “Not to.”

 

“I'm sorry?” he prompted.

 

“You said not to run off anymore.”

 

“I said not to run off anymore, that's exactly _right_ ,” Geoff spat before he wrapped an arm around Michael's middle and hauled the boy over his shoulder. Michael squealed in protest and his short sundress billowed around his bottom to flash his underwear. He nearly lost his white pumps with all his kicking but he quieted down when he got a sharp smack on the ass. Geoff carried his whining boy out of the shop and past Gavin. The smaller boy watched them go with a frowned and two canisters of ADAM in his arms. Seeing the Big Daddy's fiery look he quickly shut his mouth so as not to have that ire turned on him. He followed them silently all the way to the nearest vent. Michael was plopped down on his feet and pinned to the wall beneath the entrance. A hand smacked flat on the metal on either side of his head and he was effectively boxed in. His Daddy's usually droopy blue eyes were blazing and searing his flesh with their intensity.

 

“You are going to get your butt in that vent and go straight home. Wait there for me.”

 

Michael knew that order well. From this area the vents would lead into a little room that would have the vent he usually used to get up to the apartment. But that area could easily have roaming Splicers. When his Daddy said 'go home', he meant to go there and wait inside the vent until he banged on the wall to signal the all-clear.

 

Michael frowned deeply up at the man. “You're going to make me crawl all the way home?”

 

Geoff puffed out a sharp breath. “You disobeyed one of my only rules and I can't trust you until you've learned your lesson.”

 

“Are you going to punish me, Daddy?” Michael asked, his excitement fading when the man scowled. His chin was seized in covered fingers and his Daddy's face came close to his own, breath fanning across his mouth.

 

“You bet your sweet little ass I am,” Geoff promised, the ice in his voice threatening to cut the boy to ribbons. “Go. Home.”

 

~*~

 

Geoff made sure both boys got safely into the appropriate vent before he went to patrol the upper floor to cool his head. He didn't want to touch his boy when he was this angry. He'd told Michael a dozen times not to run away from him when they were out in the city but his boy had never bothered to listen.

 

By the time he got back to the apartment he had some control back on his emotions. He was ready to discipline him properly. When he was done, Michael would think twice about running off. Boots, shoulder and knee guards, and gloves were removed and put aside. He headed inside and went to the bedroom where the vent spilled out.

 

Gavin was helping Michael out of the hole in the wall and their extractors were leaning like twins against the dresser. Geoff made a sharp noise to catch Gavin's attention and gestured for him to move. The boy obeyed and Michael's nervous swallow was audible in the quiet room.

 

“Wait, Geoff-”

 

Geoff grabbed the boy's arm and started to drag him to the bed. Michael dug in his heels and pulled against the grip but he couldn't get leverage with the way his carpet caught on the pumps. He was yanked right out of them.

 

“No, Daddy!” Michael whined as his stockinged feet slid uselessly over the floor. “Not in front of Gavin!”

 

“No, let him see.” Geoff's grip was as unyielding as his resolve and he tossed his boy onto the bed without any effort. Michael bounced on the mattress and looked up at him with wide, scared eyes. “Let him see what happens to disobedient little boys! Gavin, _sit_.”

 

Gavin sat down quickly at the vanity, fingers bunched up in the hem of his skirt as he eagerly watched.

 

Michael was shaking his head and already pouting but his Daddy wasn't having it. He was grabbed by the back of the neck and dragged over Geoff's lap. Wanting to appease his Daddy, he willing got on his elbows and knees to properly present himself for his punishment. That wasn't quite enough. Geoff fisted a hand in his curls and forced his cheek against the bed, hips tilting up with the new angle. Both boys' breath hitched as Michael's dress was tossed up to puddle in the middle of his back and his silk panties were yanked down to cling to the bottom curve of his bottom.

 

Gavin tried not to look away but from his seat he could see _everything_. The pale cheeks, the spread thighs, and the dark pink hole. It was flexing under the brush of cool air and that made it all the more enticing. He wondered what it would be like to touch...

 

“You're going to learn this time,” Geoff promised darkly, left hand raising up. Little sparks crackled around his fingers before electrified blue spider veins spread over his hand. _Electrobolt._ Gavin whined and drew in on himself, true fear bubbling up for the first time since they'd all met.

 

 _Crack_.

 

Michael squeaked loudly at the first smack, tiny crackles of electricity lingering on his fleshy cheek. The skin flushed quickly and it promised to only grow darker. Gavin gaped – it wasn't wounding or violent, but it was a severe sting. Little Brothers had quick healing and Geoff had found a way to hurt _just enough_ to get his point across.

 

Michael's face got all red, full lips either being chewed on or dropping open to let out rough moans. Gavin could see the other boy's cock plumping up but it was mostly hidden by his generous thighs. The flush on his face spread further down on his skin with each smack, bleeding along his collarbones and chest and down his legs. With every blow the boy's fingers and toes curled in the sheets

 

“You risky, _disobedient_ boy,” Geoff scolded, the lump in his pants showing how much he was enjoying the high pitched cries of his charge.

 

Michael mumbled something into the sheets and got a harsher smack.

 

“Hm? What was that, Little Boy?” Geoff demanded, hand buzzing with energy as he hit him square in the middle of the cheek.

 

 _Zzt_. “Ngh – I'm – Daddy, pretty please – ”

 

Geoff smirked and felt a rush of power that had nothing to do with Plasmids. “I can't quite hear you.”

 

Michael whined for mercy. No inch of him was left untouched. Geoff's smacks landed on the crease of his thigh and cheeks, slowly moving up so the curve of his ass was evenly welted. The smacks were harsh but the little surges of electricity were branding him. He'd have little purple flower marks on his bottom for the rest of the day. The boy was sputtering out a bunch of humiliating noises and they only increased when he heard the other Little Brother in the room sighing and shifting around on his seat.

 

“I-I'm sorry, Daddy,” Michael sniffled, whimpering when his lustful flesh brushed the man's rough pants. “I'll n-never run away again. I won't leave your sight! I'll be good!” He choked on a sob and his lashes grew wet. “I'll be a good boy for you, I promise.”

 

Geoff enjoyed the sound his hand made against his boy's ass. The flesh bounced enticingly with each strike and it grew so hot with the rush of blood and ADAM. He ran his blunt nails over the sensitive skin and savored the whine he got, the white lines he left behind only to have them turn crimson like stripes. But Michael was already crying. His boy was prone to tears but once he started making those hoarse sobs then he'd truly reached his limit.

 

“Okay, pretty boy, I'm done.”

 

Michael whimpered in relief and he relaxed to let his panties be pulled down his legs and discarded so they wouldn't brush his ass. Geoff brought him up to sit in his lap, refusing to let the boy straddle his waist in fear of him hurting his cute little butt. A silk sheet was dragged over Geoff's thigh and he let the boy rest the abused cheeks there so he didn't scrape against his pants. Michael wrapped his arms around the man's neck and let the last of his tears fall to soak into his shirt.

 

Geoff pressed a kiss to his curls. “You did so well.”

 

“D-Daddy...”

 

“Don't run off like that,” Geoff pet over every bit of his boy. There were faint red veins all along his skin as ADAM flowed to fix the bruises that wanted to form. “You scare me badly sometimes, baby doll. I know you're sorry and I forgive you. But I've got two Little Boys to watch over now. We have to be more careful with our family.”

 

Michael pulled back and his blotchy face turned to Gavin. He held out a hand to him like an offering. “Brother?”

 

Gavin got up and walked over to take his friend's hand, smiling sweetly at him. Nothing else needed to be said and the three of them climbed into bed, the smaller boy's shoes getting untied and kicked off at the last moment. Michael laid on his belly and let the Big Daddy stroke tenderly over the curves of his reddened ass. Gavin settled on his other side and rested his cheek on the boy's shoulder. He admired the pattern of his sun dress and memorized the affection etched in Geoff's eyes.

 

The three of them rested quietly.

 

For the first time in a long time, Gavin truly believed there was more than ADAM bonding them all.

 

~*~

 

Later, when it was just the two Little Brothers curled up in bed, Gavin kissed Michael's bruised cheeks.

 

“You're beautiful when Daddy spanks you,” he confessed haltingly.

 

Michael scoffed into his pillow. “I'm pretty all the time.”

 

“You cheeky little sausage,” Gavin laughed.

 

“You immigrants and your silly words,” Michael hummed, reaching out for him. “Come back up here.”

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

Thanks to Gavin's secret stash of ADAM, they were able to spend a week just enjoying one another and learning how their relationship would flow. Thankfully they meshed well and grew close quickly. Gavin revealed a talent for sketching and Michael introduced him to his collection of romance novels. They sat on the bed, heads together, giggling as Gavin drew out some of the raunchier scenes in the stories. When the new Little Brother showed off his sewing ability, Michael declared that he was in love. He'd been trying to learn how to sew his own clothes with little luck and his hopes had risen again.

 

He began to love jazz music. Geoff sat in as Michael schooled their boy on the starlets of the '20's and his favorite musicians. Gavin got to see his friend's extensive make up collection and admired Geoff's weapons. He impressed the Big Daddy by his knowledge of how they worked and his accuracy with a rivet gun.

 

“You've got to learn quick when you're out there alone.”

 

Everything went smoothly.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Geoff took Gavin out on his own after the boy complained about smelling a ripe angel in one of the nearby apartments. They went out, just a few floors down, and it ended up being a Splicer who had fallen in one of the Big Daddy's many traps. Gavin eagerly sucked the corpse dry with his extractor and afterward he held the full gun up for the man to see.

 

“Perfect,” Geoff declared.

 

Gavin looked down at the canister and chewed his lip. “Do you want to put it in me? I haven't had it done properly in years.”

 

Geoff smiled softly. “Of course. We'll get back and...” He trailed off as he watched the boy jump up onto the nearest dresser and lay his back against the wall, thighs spreading. He pulled an empty Hypo out of his bag and unscrewed the ADAM canister to fill it up properly with the glowing drug. After he was sure it was as full as it was going to get, he offered it to the Big Daddy.

 

“Right here, Little Boy?”

 

Gavin nodded. “Right here, Daddy.”

 

As Geoff slid the needle into Gavin's creamy thigh for the first time, they both realized just how badly they wanted each other. Gavin's candy sweet moans called to the Daddy and he murmured filth as he slowly injected the liquid so the boy's veins glowed pink.

 

“You beautiful boy.” Geoff brushed their lips and fitted himself snugly between the other's long legs. Gavin cooed up at him and offered his mouth for whatever he wanted. “I can't wait to have you all over Michael's pretty pink sheets. You'll mewl like a good little kitten and take every inch of me, won't you?”

 

Gavin nodded furiously, body on fire from the rush of ADAM.

 

Geoff pressed his mouth to the boy's ear, voice no more than a husk. “And when we're done my baby girl will lick you clean, inside and out.”

 

“ _Daddy_.”

 

~*~

 

Michael had to wait forever to be alone in the suite. He'd seen the flicker in Geoff's eyes – the pair would be out for at least an hour. He didn't bother shutting the door to the bedroom before he pulled out a small crate from beneath the mattress. It had several vintage lewd pictures of flapper-esque girls with small, tight breasts and darkly painted lips, shadowed eyes, and raven hair. Beneath the spread of them were his old journals, a glass phallus toy wrapped in a silk scarf, a couple packs of cherry tobacco cigarettes, and a shining silver box with a matching holder. Among his treasures was now a slim white box. He pulled out the delicate, pale-peach brassiere and took it to the vanity, but did stop long enough to put an appropriate record out.

 

He found the garter belt he'd taken that perfectly matched it and put it on, the satin clinging to him and high-waisted to lengthen his torso. Cotton panties were changed out for pure silken ones. The stockings he'd chosen were solid and as virgin white as his panties but with lacy edges.

 

The bra...it fit like a dream. With only a minor struggle he hooked it across his back and then wiggled around until it sat right. It wasn't as stretchy as it looked but that didn't matter because it seemed to be designed to cling to the chest, a support for a small bust. The straps fit nicely over his shoulders and the lacy cleavage line hugged tight to his skin. The seam where lace met the light, more solid material cut right above his nipple. As the buds grew hard under his own gaze they looked obscene.

 

' _Ten cents a dance that's what they pay me, gosh, how they weigh me down! Ten cents a dance pansies and rough guys, tough guys who tear my gown!_ '

 

The woman singing was droning in a nasally, stylish voice that only fueled the mood.

 

Michael put a knee on the stool and leaned in to the mirror to get a good look at his face. Some light rouge and a touch of nude lipstick turned him into something like an angel, an opening act at a high end burlesque show. He thought the bra would be silly but it looked _amazing_ against his porcelain skin. He started stretching, turning this way and that, admiring how the whole thing looked. He kicked up his foot and smiled coquettishly at his reflection, shooting flirty winks as if to seduce his image from across a room. The lines the lacy material cut into his image were enticing and he couldn't help but touch them himself.

 

Then door opened.

 

' _Sometimes I think I've found my hero, but it's a queer romance._ '

 

Gavin gasped at the sight of him, mouth dropping open like he'd been slapped and eyes rounding out as they fell on the other boy in the room. Michael blushed and paused mid-pose, arms tucked behind his back in the way that would display his chest. And the brassiere.

 

' _All that you need is a ticket. Come on, big boy...ten cents a dance._ '

 

Michael's tongue darted out nervously and he tasted the wax of his lipstick. “Gavin...I, uh, didn't expect you back so soon.”

 

Though Gavin had come to them shy, the boy had been gaining back his confidence with each night of kisses and cuddles. The look of blatant desire on his face was something the other wouldn't have dared allowed himself just a few days ago. Gavin may have had on those long moccasins and one of his friend's old yoke skirts (black, nearly see-through, one of Michael's favorites that he'd been fucked in many times), but the look in his eyes was all male lust.

 

“A bra,” Gavin gawked.

 

“I know it's a bit much,” Michael pouted as one hand came up to try and hide the lacy material. “I-I saw it last time we were out and I wanted to see if it looked good.”

 

Gavin slid out of his flats and approached without a word.

 

“You don't like it,” Michael gushed with growing sadness. “You think it's dumb? Oh gosh, it's stupid, isn't it? And if you don't like it, Daddy won't like it.”

 

Gavin took both the other's hands and laced their fingers, lowering them so that there was nothing to obscure his view. “My lovely Little Boy. You are a _vision_.”

  
Michael blushed and his eyes darted toward the mirror. While he looked the very essence of feminine, Gavin's attention was fully on him and his face was full of heat.

 

“A tiny goddess,” Gavin praised with great reverence as he squeezed the other boy's fingers. His eyes were glowing from a fresh flush of ADAM and Michael somehow found that sexy. It wasn't a trait of a Big Daddy but there were still flutters in his belly at the sight. He was a little surprised when the other boy leaned in and kissed him but he accepted it whole-heartedly. “May I worship you, Michael?”

 

“Blasphemous,” Michael teased past his shocked tingles.

 

“Please?” Gavin implored, lips turning down at the thought that he had upset his friend.

 

The other boy felt his dick start to stiffen up in his white silk panties. “I-If you want...”

 

“Oh Michael,” Gavin breathed before he slanted another kiss across his soft mouth. This was familiar. Michael hummed and loosely wrapped his arms around the boy's thin shoulders. Gavin was a little taller than him and this is when their height difference gave him butterflies. He whined when those thin lips abandoned his own and he wanted to protest but couldn't bring himself to when they skimmed down his jaw. Tiny, biting kisses were peppered along his throat and a string of reverent kisses were placed along his collarbones. Michael cooed as goosebumps cropped up along his skin.

 

Gavin looped an arm along the other boy's lower back and dragged him until their bodies pressed. Michael's body swayed like the girls in the movies, back curving and head tilting back as he was kissed so thoroughly once more. It was a graceful, subtle bend but it gave the brunette all the room he would need.

 

“Gorgeous,” Gavin murmured before he dipped his head down and kissed the little indent along the seam. He was rewarded as the nipple hardened up. Michael breath became soft pants as he started laving over the peak, the material dampening under his attention. His lips followed the bridge of lace and then began to lightly nip and lick over its twin.

 

Michael was stunned by his friend's sudden burst of confidence but he never wanted it to leave. He let his head lull as he moaned up at the ceiling. The wet rasp of Gavin's tongue and lace against his chest was much more erotic than he would've ever thought. The straps on his shoulders were slowly eased down to hang loosely around his biceps. Fingers hooked in the top of his brassiere and tugged the lace down until it was tucked just under his nips. Gavin's mouth didn't waste a moment before it latched onto one, barely licking at first before the soft suckling started. He jerked at the sensation and leaned harder into the other boy, eyes falling closed to enjoy the bolts of pleasure that shot down between his legs. He was used to Geoff's demanding mouth and rough beard but Gavin's lips felt so small, teeth only slight but tongue lava=hot with promise of ADAM.

 

Michael's steady stream of moans broke off when he was suddenly turned to face the mirror, his friend slotting up behind him with a sharp look in his emerald eyes and a wicked smirk twisting his reddened mouth. Michael may have let out a sort of _squeak_ when he saw the state of his abused buds so perfectly framed by lace. They were shining thanks to Gavin's surprisingly talented tongue and he knew he wanted more, and _lower_.

 

“Pretty little miss.” Geoff's words flicked off Gavin's tongue and it made him shiver. Even with the skim of intricate lace on Gavin's thighs, his hands were strong and the hungry gleam in his eyes reminded him that this was a male behind him looking at him as men had looked at women for centuries. “If Daddy were to see you right now he wouldn't be able to keep from sheathing you on his cock.”

 

Michael's breath punched out of him and his knees wobbled. “Crude boy.”

 

“Maybe,” Gavin conceded with a little pink to his cheeks. “But I've never had someone to lavish attention on before and I'm a little... _thirsty_.”

 

Their lips slid together and they staggered over to the bed. Michael was whining and eating at his mouth as if he could find the naughty words and lap them up. He clung to the taller boy's shoulders even as he started to fall to the mattress. He didn't want to let go. Michael plopped onto the sheets and pulled him down as well so their legs tangled up.

 

“No, Gav,” Michael complained as the boy's mouth left his. He blearily clawed at his shirt for purchase to yank him back up. Gavin's fingers grabbed each side of his panties and tugged them down over his belt and garter straps. Michael gasped as he was so abruptly exposed but the awed look on his friend's face put him at ease. He'd almost forgotten that Gavin was untried at such carnal acts.

 

“Gavvy,” Michael sing-songed as he threaded his fingers through light hair. Gavin realized he'd been caught staring and bit the corner of his lip. He'd been admiring the small, pink cock and the glisten of pre-cum at the tip. He knew about sex, how it worked, and the basics – he'd learned quite a bit from those dirty dime store novels on his friend's bookshelf. “You don't have to. It's all still new.”

 

Gavin smiled, pleased at the understanding, but he knew what he wanted to do. He dove down and lapped at the slight head. The taste was starchy and he found it sticky, but he loved it. The girlish noises that escaped his friend made him want more. He sucked the tip between his lips and got a true whimper in reward. Gavin was afraid he wouldn't be able to take down much with his unused throat but the length smaller than his own and fit well along his tongue, the tip just shy of brushing the back of his throat. He chirped happily at the knowledge and started sucking more enthusiastically. He laved hungrily all over the smooth skin to make it slick and then tightened his lips, slowly bobbing to gauge the other's reaction.

 

Michael looked like he was seeing God – eyes painfully wide and stuck on the ceiling, mouth hanging open in a silent cry.

 

Gavin slid off the warm flesh and frowned. “Michael?”

 

“Oh _Gav_ , don't stop,” Michael begged, the cocklet in front of him visibly twitching. “Please, your mouth feels so good. So eager and hot – by all the saints and martyrs, my heart's going to give out. Put that hot tongue back on me, you teasing twink, or I'll flip you on your back myself.”

 

Gavin grinned and laid his hands on the boy's thighs. “Showy little harlot.”

 

“Tormenting feb!” Michael snarled prettily.

 

“Tramp.”

 

“Bastard!” Michael's curls flew across the pillow as he tossed his head, lips sliding back over his aching flesh. “ _Gavin_.”

 

The taller boy started bobbing with earnest, tongue curling to keep the slide smooth. Michael's hips rocked with each strong _suck_ and his cries became more frequent, more desperate. The surprisingly amount of pleasure cut through his inhibitions and he could barely keep himself still.

 

“God, you could have me right now,” Michael babbled with fervor as he hooked his legs over the boy's shoulders and cocked up his hips so his thighs could cling lightly to the other boy's head. Silk brushed Gavin's ears and he hummed around the flesh in his mouth. His hair was fisted and then Michael started to really thrust into his mouth, cock dragging hard over his tongue and rutting up like he was slipping into a different kind of hole. That thought alone made his own dick push against the cage of his panties. He reached down and started to palm the hardening flesh as he bobbed his head along with Michael's movements, the other hand braced on the bed so he could just let him fuck his mouth how he wanted.

 

“I could take you real easy,” Michael hissed as he immodestly chased his own end. “Get that cute cock inside me and milk you dry while Daddy watches. God, I hope he'd let you spill in me. Could bounce in your lap, Gavvy, I could make you feel so good like a _real_ man.”

 

Michael's normal, breathy voice fell away for a deeper tone more fitting for his real age.

 

“You'll never have anything better than me, you little twink.”

 

A figure filled the doorway and Michael's moans picked up as he started to come, bleary eyes locked right on his Daddy's face. Geoff's jaw went slack as he watched his Little Boy force Gavin's head down his length so he could spill all the way down his throat. Gavin gagged a little and sputtered but he took it like a champ, swallowing quickly to catch every drop. The man's bag dropped to the floor and his eyes darted all over to memorize the scene.

 

Michael all ruddy and panting, lashes fluttering as he came down from his high. A woman's bra was stretched across his chest, tiny straps hanging around his arms and the edge tucked under his swollen nubs. Garters that matched. It was enough to make even the strongest man weak.

 

Gavin gently slid off the other boy's softening length and half turned to look at the Bid Daddy. He looked guilty and scared, like he'd really done something wrong, but Geoff's blood ran hot when he saw the droplets of Michael's spend clinging to his chin and lips. The Big Daddy walked over and continued to admires his boys' flushed cheeks and his first Little Brother's trembling as they fell from slim shoulders.

 

Geoff ran a thumb over the boy's wet lip to smear the seed there. “My messy boys.”

 

Gavin slumped in relief and tilted his head up to press into the touch.

 

Michael gave a short-winded giggle. “Oh fuck-the-hell-yeah we are.”

 

“Michael! Such language.”

 

A dark eye cracked open to look at him. “Hush up, Daddy. You're much worse than me.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Gavin fell into their bed as easily as he'd fallen into their lives. He soon grew addicted to the feeling of being tucked into Geoff's body and the feeling of his skirt rasping against Michael's as they rolled around in bed together. Though he couldn't imprint upon Geoff and the usual bond couldn't be form, the man truly treated him like his own Little Boy. His kisses were firm and he often patted Gavin, complimented how he looked and how good he was after he showed his Daddy his sketches or recounted a new fact he learned from the few nonfiction books they had.

 

“Daddy, did you know that the people of Åland were so fierce that when the Russians tried to enslave them, they rose against them so fiercely that the Russians thought they were the Swedish army?”

 

“I didn't know that.”

 

“Daddy...where's Finland?”

 

“It's on the surface, baby.”

 

“The surface...”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Their skirts had long since been unzipped and unbuttoned and thrown aside. They were both up on their knees with their arms wrapped tight around each other, fingers clawing with great hunger through hair and across shoulders. Tented cotton panties rubbed against silk ones, pre-cum smearing on the insides and struggling to accommodate their excited flesh. They kissed wetly, tongues sliding visibly between swollen lips as they indulged in the pure physical joy of the act. Gavin palmed his friend's ass and snapped the line of his underwear with a cocky grin.

 

Geoff's shadow fell over them right before they both felt the slight pinch of a needle sliding into their thighs. Two syringes, two steady hands. The boys cried out into each other's mouths and their eyes glowed brightly behind their lids. Their veins lit up with ADAM as they were slowly injected and both boys could have sworn they could taste the spice of it in the back of their throats.

 

Michael grabbed his friend's waist and rolled his hips once, twice – “Oh _yes_.”

 

Gavin listened intently as the other boy shuddered and creamed his panties, the warmth pressed against his own hardness. They'd both been on edge for the good part of an hour and he was right there, so close, so he kissed even harder. He followed his Michael into the roil of orgasm when the needle slid free and he was brimming with ADAM.

 

The two boys whimpered as their kiss broke and they both collapsed into the bed. They panted and knocked foreheads, hands lacing loosely on the bed between them. They were wiped from the injection and still twitching from their abrupt climaxes. Shimmering spend oozed from the seams of their panties and it only drew their Big Daddy's gaze.

 

“My sweet Little Boys.” Geoff ran a hand down each of their legs, admiring Michael's smooth skin and squeezing the impressive muscle in Gavin's own.

 

But they couldn't hear him, much too lost in each other.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Geoff came back from his usual patrol and trap-repairment and found Gavin asleep in the living room. The boy was sprawled on the couch in one of Geoff's own shirts and a pair of his small, high-waisted shorts. He looked so young all soft in sleep and still clutching the book spread on his chest. The man went over and pulled a throw blanket off the back of the couch to carefully cover his boy. A chaste kiss was pressed to his forehead.

 

“Our little dove,” Geoff cooed down at him as he shed a glove to properly touch the boy's capable fingers, “With his hidden claws.”

 

A record started to play from the bedroom. A smooth baseline echoed out of the cracked door and it felt like plucks of pure heat that went straight to his dick. _Harlem Nocturne? My doll must be feeling frisky._

 

Geoff shed his armor and boots, thumbing off his suspenders, and dropping his pants to leave himself in just his shorts and shirt. He had a feeling he wouldn't be needing his clothes any time soon. He pushed open the door and whistled at the sight that greeted him.

 

Michael was standing on top of the bed and admiring himself in the mirror with his arms tight around Gavin's stuffed giraffe. He was in that brassiere again with matching sugar-spun lipstick, but unlike his innocent suckling with Gavin he'd changed into something a little more tantalizing. The garter belt clinging to his soft hips wasn't as high as most of his belongings and his panties were cut much thinner than the stuff he was used to seeing his boy in. Those stockings were slightly shear at the knees but otherwise a solid raven that contrasted beautifully against all that pale skin.

 

“My God,” Geoff huffed, wishing he had a hat to tip.

 

“Daddy,” Michael husked, his more feminine tone gone in favor of a fiery stare and a wicked smirk.

 

Geoff felt a stab in his gut that made him truly breathless. The Little Brothers had been genetically altered and brainwashed just as much as the Big Daddies had. Geoff had imprinted with Michael almost immediately not because of his looks, but because of their similarities. Geoff was the most successful Big Daddy – Michael was the most successful Little Brother. They were what their creators wanted on all points if not just a little too intelligent. His boy had gone through more electroshock than he had and it showed in moments like this.

 

Michael was all sweetness and light with his dresses and creams, a perfect doll baby in patent leather pumps. But sometimes Geoff got to see below the surface of all that artificial conditioning to the person he could have been if he hadn't been orphaned. Moments where Michael's fried brain fought against every ounce of training and the glow in his eyes flickered out to show off wide, doe orbs.

 

Now, his boy's eyes still shone with the presence of ADAM, but his voice was clear.

 

“It's been too long since I've had your mouth.” The filth dripped off Michael's lips like honey as he put Egg back on the shelf. He pushed down his panties and kicked them aside. He was already hard. The boy pointed at the bed with raised eyebrows. “Get over here, Daddy.”

 

Geoff palmed himself through his pants before he hurried to the bed. “Whatever my little miss wants.”

 

Michael put a stockinged foot on his chest and pushed him back. The man obeyed and laid out, legs stretching out between the boy's legs, and got a giggle. Michael plopped down on his chest and the slight weight could barely be felt. He reached up and cupped the back of his boy's thighs. The silk and the velvety feel of his flesh were hard to tell apart by touch alone. He was so gorgeous perched on top of him and it was one of his favorite sights.

  
“You want me to eat you out, baby girl?” Geoff purred, fingers groping up along his boy's plump cheeks. He loved how plush his Michael was.

 

“Kind of.” The softer voice returned as Michael bit the side of his lip. He slowly scooted up Geoff's chest until he could brace a hand flat on the bed above the man's shoulder, the other holding his cock to lead it to a slightly chapped mouth. Geoff wet his lips and helped brace his boy, helping him closer.

 

“You want to fuck my mouth while you're wearing your nice garters, baby?”

 

Michael nodded eagerly. “Please Daddy?”

 

Geoff smirked and urged him closer. “I want whatever my Michael wants. Let me taste you, doll.”

 

Michael laughed happily and eased up until the tip of his cock brushed his Daddy's mouth. The mirthful sound churned into a moan when thick tongue laved over the head. The sensation made him shiver and he rutted forward carelessly, sliding over the slick muscle and soft palette until it was just heat. Michael whined and slapped both hands on the bed on either side of the man's head, his hips pushing forward with the encouragement of his Daddy's grasping fingers. He felt so small nestled to the hilt inside Geoff's mouth and the man sucked him down without any effort.

 

“Yes,” Michael hissed, rolling his hips to let his Daddy adjust. Geoff curled his fingers tighter around the boy's cheeks and guided him deeper until his nose brushed the sparse curls at the base of his little cock. Michael took the hint and moved faster, humping his guardian's face, driving himself between those wet lips. It was rare he got to properly rut into something like this and his Daddy was so accommodating, so loving and ready to fulfill his needs.

 

Michael raised his head when he heard something. He blinked the blurriness from his eyes and spotted Gavin standing in the doorway with a lump in his shorts and a lustful look. The other boy looked away quickly at being caught.

 

“Gav!” Michael beamed, leaving his weight on one hand while the other reached out to crook a finger at the other boy. He was a little breathless as the man swallowed around him. “Come on, Brother. Daddy's making me feel so good. His mouth is all hot. Don't you want something tight on your cock?”

 

Gavin slowly walked forward and unbuttoned his shorts until they easily fell down around his ankles, then kicked away. His underwear came next. The large shirt he wore (Geoff's shirt) fell so low now that it wasn't tucked in. “What should I do, Michael?”

 

Michael grinned and moved so he on his hand and low on his knees, cock still sunk deep inside his Daddy's mouth. He patted the bed before he pointedly wet his lips before parting them. Gavin marveled at the implication before quickly crawled onto the bed. He pet through Geoff's dark hair and there was a little hum of appreciation.

 

“Does he taste good, Daddy?” Gavin teased lightly, getting another hum.

 

“You'll taste better,” Michael purred. “Get up on your knees, Gav. Use me like a toy.”

 

Gavin obeyed and when he did he was the perfect height for the end of his hard cock to brush plump lips. Michael simply dabbed at it at first, licking lightly at the stretched skin around the tip. When the boy was soft the flesh was loose like a sheath, cut differently from his own, and he liked to play with it. The strange condition had left the head of the cock pale and oversensitive. Michael swirled a filthy kiss upon it, laving thickly to get the first taste of pre-cum. Gavin's tiny whine paired nicely with the meaty baseline of the music still playing in the air.

 

The other boy's cock was longer than his own but after sucking Geoff's impressive meat for so long it was much easier to just swallow Gavin down to the root. He felt surrounded and full at the same time, hips still moving into his Daddy's eager mouth. Geoff's tongue curling hard against his cock and he mimicked the motion on Gavin's, twin moans escaping the boys. Red curls were fisted and pale cheeks were grabbed hard enough to dimple the skin. Two mouths sucked quite ardently as the third let out a constant flow of grateful moans.

 

Gavin's head was spinning. He never thought he'd be in a place like this let alone experiencing something so carnal. He thought it would've freaked him out more, dissolved him into a nervous wreck, but he trusted the two people he was with. His Daddy and his friend, his fellow Brother. They would take care of him, and he would do so in return. He wanted to sew clothes with Michael and fight Splicers with Geoff, give them both all the jars of ADAM he could find like courting gifts. He loved them, and-

 

 _I love them?_ Gavin choked on his breath as the heat between his thighs spilled over, Michael's thick lips settled snugly at the base of his dick. _Oh God, I love them. I'm theirs and they're mine. Mine, my family, my world, my everything._

 

Gavin looked straight into his friend's glowing eyes as he came, pleasure only ramping as he saw the ruined mouth and blotchy cheeks. Michael's creamy hips were still rutting, cheeks bouncing lightly with each thrust into their Daddy's mouth. Geoff only made pleased noises and held on tighter, sensing his second boy's release. Michael swallowed with high pitched whines and his pace increased, fucking between fine lips and enjoying the scrape of beard on his pubic bone.

 

“God, Daddy, he tastes amazing.” Michael's voice was hoarse with abuse as he pulled off his friend's dick and sat properly on Geoff's chest. He cringed when cool air touched his wet cock and he admired the new swell of his Daddy's mouth. “And you look so nice down there.”

 

Geoff shot him a wink. “I live to serve, baby doll.”

 

Michael swiped a thumb over his mouth to collect the seed that had smeared there and popped the digit between his Daddy's lips. Geoff moaned, tongue and teeth digging into the whorls of the thumb to collect all the taste. “He's good, right?”

 

“The best,” Geoff admitted when the boy's thumb slid out.

 

Gavin sunk into the large shirt and tried to hide with its folds. “Guys...”

 

“Hush,” Michael tisked, spreading his legs further to show off his glossy dick. “Do you want to see me ride Daddy's cock until he fills me up with cream? Or do you want to watch me spill into his mouth?

 

Gavin felt sucker punched and he could only stare.

 

“Or maybe I'll choose for you.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Micheal was used to his Daddy milking him of ADAM all throughout the day in little sips. It was a way for them to be intimate without jumping into bed every five minutes (though they both would've been alright with that). But Gavin had been alone for so long that was used to waiting until he hit his absolute limit before he took to draining himself of pure, re-filtered ADAM.

 

But he didn't need to do that anymore. He had a Big Daddy now.

 

Michael had woken up to Gavin's soft groans of discomfort. The other boy was half curled up on himself with his face buried in a pillow, clutching his stomach. He was glowing – eyes nuclear, veins blood red and swollen under his skin. Even his poor belly was distended. Since he'd been with them Gavin had gained a little fat around his thin face and tummy. They didn't need to eat but Geoff had insisted on feeding him snacks and sweets to add some weight to his sparrow-like frame.

 

“Michael,” Gavin whined pitifully as he massaged his aching stomach.

 

“My little dove,” Michael crooned as he scooted up behind him and laced their fingers to help him massage the swell. “You're so full full you're almost leaking.” He ran his tongue over the boy's bare shoulder. “I can taste it on your skin.”

 

Gavin's sob almost broke his heart.

 

“Don't you worry for one moment. We'll help you.” Michael got up only long enough to get their best tube of lube out of the dresser. He wiggled up behind his friend again and lightly tugged at the boy's boy cut underwear. “Now let's get you out of your clothes and get you ready for Daddy. He'll take care of you so fine.”

 

~*~

 

When Geoff returned to the apartment with a small bag of goodies he did so to the heady smell of ADAM saturating the living room. It was pouring in waves out of the bedroom. He dropped the presents on the couch and hurried to get out of his clothes. He nearly tripped over his pants on the way to the doorway and took out a fake houseplant.

 

The gift waiting inside was worth almost embarrassing himself.

 

Michael was sitting at the top of the bed in nothing but a pair of his pretty panties. He had Gavin's head resting in his lap with a tiny silk pillow to cushion it. The Little Brother was spread out along the length of the bed, naked, his slim cock dribbling lazily. Gavin was was damn near _radiating_ with ADAM like he was nuclear. The bulge in his stomach made it almost look like he was swollen with a little pup of his own instead of a creature that soaked up ADAM. Michael was cooing endearments down at him and petting his hair, knuckles running over his cheeks. It was wonderfully domestic sight.

 

“Daddy,” Michael started, the other boy's moans lacing under his words, “I think it's time you made love to your Little Boy. He's all lush and ripe for you.” The boy ran his fingers over Gavin's bobbing throat. “He's keeping the ADAM nice and _warm_ all night, cooking it up. Can you feel it, Daddy? It's pulsing, begging, _hissing_ for you.”

 

Michael broke himself off in a moan as his hand spread out at the base of the boy's neck. “Take him, Daddy, like you took me.”

 

Geoff shed his underwear and gave himself a few casual strokes as he approached the bed. His size was so obvious when his tiny boys were crowded together like this and still looked so helpless. Gavin was panting heavily but he still managed to crack his gleaming eyes to peer at the Big Daddy with pure desire. Geoff crawled onto the bed and knelt between the perfect 'v' of his boy's spread legs.

 

“Hey there Gavvy-boy.” Geoff kept his tone light as he slowly pet the boy's knees to try and put him at ease. “Do you want to share all this with me, baby boy? I could just milk you if you want, we don't have to do any more than that.”

 

The word _milk_ had Gavin's cock drooling even more and he parted his legs even further, hips tilting up. “Daddy, _please_ do this with me. H-Have me.”

 

“If you're sure. Let me just get the oil...”

 

“I've already prepped him, Daddy,” Michael stated, glancing at the half empty tube of lube discarded on the bed. “He opened up like a natural. I made sure you could just slip right in.”

 

Geoff's breath hitched. “Did he squeal on your fingers, Little Boy?”

 

“He even called your name.” He shot him a wink, fingers still rubbing soothingly over his friend's throat to anchor him. “He's ready.”

 

Geoff pressed a few kisses on Gavin's legs before he hooked his arms under his knees, shuffling forward until the tip of his fat cock brushed the boy's hole. It was usually so tight and small against his fingertips but now it was overly slick and gaping, kissing weakly at his cock as he teased it. He slowly eased inside and Gavin's lithe body made a perfect arch in front of him, a pure animal noise leaving his mouth.

 

Michael purred as he felt the boy's body shudder as it was forced open for the first time. Gavin truly had given into him earlier when he'd opened him up around his fingers. “How does it feel, Daddy?”

  
“Just like silk,” Geoff groaned as he finally bottomed out, panting more from the intensity than exertion.

 

Michael chewed his lip and decided he couldn't wait for his turn.

 

~*~

 

Gavin's lips were numb and his body shifted along the sheets with each thrust. It felt like being rocked by the ocean. The hard flesh inside him had a wonderful stretch that made him forgot about how close to bursting he truly was. Michael's hands never left his skin and his vision was filled of his huffing, flushed Big Daddy. His guardian.

 

The discomfort started licking at the pleasure.

 

“Please, Daddy,” Gavin managed to sputter out. “My tummy hurts. It's...it's too much. Too much. Please help me.”

 

“You don't have to beseech me so sweetly, dove. I'll never deny you.”

 

Gavin's whined on the upthrust, the man's cock dragging deliciously along his insides.

 

“Do it, Daddy,” Michael begged with breathless excitement, eyes darting between his lovers' blissed out faces and the slick tip of Gavin's slim cock. Then he saw his Big Daddy's hands glowing from the start of the extracting Plasmid and he had to swallow down a giggle. “Make him ours forever.”

 

Gavin nodded eagerly, one hand spread out on Michael's thigh while the other clung to Geoff's shoulder.

 

“You ready to let go?”

 

He nodded again, nails digging in to hard muscle.

 

“Then hold still for me...”

 

~*~

 

Later, when they were all sated and were slumped uselessly all over the pink silk sheets, Geoff propped himself up on his elbow to look over Gavin's sleeping form. The boy was drained and smiling in his sleepy, thick seed slowly dripping out from his hole to leave a wet spot for them to deal with in the morning. Michael was on the other side of the Little Brother and was petting through his hair and down the long, sweaty slope of his back. His boy looked as content as a cat with cream.

 

“Michael?” Geoff whispered, careful not to wake their third up.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Shut off the lamp and turn off the player.”

 

Michael rolled over and clicked off the light but had to strain to flip the switch on the side of the record player. He turned and settled back in with a sheet dragged over his hips. Geoff reached over the other boy to pet fluffy curls. Michael hummed sweetly and pushed into it.

 

“Darlin'?”

 

“Yes, Daddy?” Michael asked with all his usual endearing sweetness.

 

“He's not ours.”

 

The room was dark except for the sea light that trickled in from the living room but Geoff could easily see how pale his boy went.

 

“O-Of course he's _ours_.”

 

“No, Michael, he's not.” Geoff bunched the pillow under his head to get more comfortable. “There's something off about him. I can't imprint on him. We can't bond like you and I have.”

 

Michael's lip quivered and he looked down at Gavin like someone had punched his puppy. “Don't take him away from me, Daddy. I love him.”

 

“I know you do, baby boy, and so do I, but there's a chance...” Geoff heaved a sigh. “There's a chance that a real Big Daddy could come for him. And if that happens, we'll have to give him up.”

 

He expected Michael to cry in protest, to bark a protest or try to reason his way out, but the boy merely snuggling up close to Gavin with a heartbroken expression.

 

“Michael?”

 

“I'll always love him, just like I love you,” Michael confessed with a stuttering breath. “Forever.”

 

 

 

 


	6. The Gang's All Here - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan's past is revealed. And Geoff meets tiny Ray.

**Cut this chap in half, it was way too long. I provided links and stuff within the text for better refernce of in-game stuff. Highly recommend you look at the pics and watch the short video.**

**Thank you, as always, for your loving support. Your advice and suggestions are most welcome!**

 

* * *

 

 

In the North Atlantic there were many lighthouses. Near Iceland, where the water cooled, there were two particular structures that laid within twenty miles of each other. Tall, dark pillars with the statue of an outreaching angelic figure holding up the massive light that led ships to more than safety. They matched in every way except that one was lit and the other laid dormant. The doors were padlocked shut and it looked long abandoned.

 

On January 1st, 1965 the faint click of an activated timer could be heard within the bowls of this forgotten lighthouse. A heavy generator kicked on. It had a strange self-powering cell device plugged into its side that allowed it to run full blast. It's juice flowed through the many thick cables plugged into it, many threading down through the floor into the basement where the true contents hid. The spark of energy warmed up the self-sustaining cells.

 

With a mighty hum, a beam of light shot out across the water as the beacon powered up. The whole building seemed to shudder.

 

On a desk somewhere on the top floor, a switch board flickered to life. A small, foreign electronic box started beeping. It had a lever sticking out of it that was rather securely attached to the knob of bronze device full of dials and curved metal. A telegraph. It took several moments of mechanical whirring before the lever began to tick strongly. A message was tapped out, signal reaching far, and after a minute or so it stopped.

 

The strange electronic box whined before it surged, a self-destruction sequence frying out the inside until the metal turned black.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ryan wasn't sure when the dreams started. They may have held details but he couldn't remember them once he'd awoken. There were only two things that stood out – the image of a swaddled baby in a woman's arms and the word _ace_. He didn't know what they meant but he couldn't shake them. They were always accompanied by the memories of thick leather straps and needles, of sharp shocks that went straight to his brain until he couldn't remember who “Ryan Haywood” was. It was something he couldn't share with Ray. He didn't want to muddy his sweet boy's mind up with such blatant cruelty.

 

There was something new in the water and he needed to tell someone before he exploded.

 

Ryan was spooned up behind his boy, both of them bare of anything besides the blankets curled around their shoulders. He'd worn his sweet Little Brother out more than an hour ago and he hadn't stirred since. Breaths puffed lazily across the pillow as Ray slept easy in the arms of his guardian. The boy's flesh radiated natural heat and the burn of ADAM in his veins made it all the more intense.

 

He sniffed delicately at Ray's nape and hummed, a brief graze of tongue allowing him to get a hint of sweetness. That little potion his boy made out of petals and simple honey was most delicious coupled with the faint flavor of ADAM.

 

Ryan busied himself petting through Ray's hair and mouthing kisses on his exposed skin. It was an easy distraction. He wasn't ready to get out of bed yet but if he was honest with himself he never truly was. This bed meant safety and more Ray-cuddles. He didn't want to waste any time when he was truly present to be in the moment. Those damn, heavy-handed scientists. Thanks to their 'loving' treatment and favor of electrotherapy, Ryan felt himself scrambled. There were good days when he was present and could draw, could read, and hold conversation with his Little Boy (albeit a little one-sided). But...there were bad days. Days when he didn't know his name and he would roam the halls outside this haven looking for a fight, for something to smash to a pulp with his large fists until he felt even remotely better. Those days it was hard to cling onto his own name and what he used to be. He'd struggle with the concept of 'love' and would only know obsession.

 

On good days he kissed and made sweet love to Ray until they were both sated.

 

On bad days, he could barely see his boy as little more than a treasure to guard and would shut him away in this room without so much as a word. With his mind sunk deep into the primitive part of his brain, Ryan would return only to press his boy into the bed and possessively smother him with his hulking form.

 

He was lucky to have such an understanding charge who took everything in stride.

 

Ryan admired the way his hand fit along almost the entire curve of his boy's head for a few minutes longer before he finally got up. He dressed as quietly as he could manage but he needn't worry for Ray was deep in his own dreams, albeit more pleasant than those of his guardian's. Ray was used to him leaving to go patrol in the middle of the night but he hated to leave the boy after such a wonderful evening in bed. He'd made his charge's pleasure peak three times the past few hours, their lust rising and falling with the waves that brushed against the city's walls. They'd come together several times – some moments in a harsh rut that made Ray scream and others where they would only rub against each other, grinding half-hard flesh into thighs and against hips as they supped on each other's lips.

 

When Ray's inhibitions were gone he became quite the sensual creature and Ryan was powerless to resist. His cock had hardly softened all evening and by the time he felt truly sated his boy was exhausted.

 

Ryan grabbed one of the many notebooks they had and put it on the desk. He vividly remembered trying to tear out a piece of paper just the other week and destroying the binding so he decided to just leave it open. His night-vision, though sometimes garbled when he strained himself, allowed him to easily find a pencil. Being enlarged through chemical treatments and swollen with steroids had made his fingers clumsy and he fumbled the pencil. Writing was difficult even in the best of times. Though blessed with strength, speed, and toughened skin he had been robbed of his finesse. It was embarrassing how horrible this task was for him now. He was sure he'd written thousands of words and stories and poems back when he was just a man but now he left shaky graphite lines as he tried to form just a dozen letters or so.

 

He had to put the pencil down, teeth grit as he stretched his fingers to try and relieve the stiffness. He watched the muscle jump under his skin and he had to wonder just how muddled his muscularity system was. There was a slow simmer of rage as he caught a glimpse of himself in the dirty mirror. He was large like a [Brute Splicer](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Brute_Splicer), sometimes even larger, and so overly strong that he had to concentrate every time he put his hands on his Little Boy. The only time he felt normal was when he was slowly curling his fingers inside his boy's tight sheath and was getting kissed by that wonderfully shy mouth.

 

It was a struggle to scratch out the letters but he managed a simple message.

 

_Be back soon. I love you._

 

It was shaky and would have been unreadable if the letters hadn't been so big. The pencil snapped in his grip and he bit back a growl. He took the sharpened nub and leaned over the desk to oh-so-carefully sketch out a rounded heart. He wasn't completely happy with it but he knew his boy would appreciate the effort. Ray liked to collect and coo over them. His past notes were stacked in a box somewhere and he sometimes caught his boy looking at them like they were precious.

 

Ryan leaned over the bed and indulge himself in one last kiss to his boy's cheek. _Sleep, sweet one._

 

~*~

 

Ryan went to the usual spot to wait for Geoff. He'd left the usual signal to beckon the man to come to him – a mutilated Splicer strung from the ceiling in the Central tram and sent off without any other passengers. He usually had about ten hours before the other Big Daddy showed. He'd spent the majority of it twined with Ray and he'd lost track of time. The hours, the days...they weren't something one kept track of in Rapture.

 

So Ryan waited high above the floor on one of the broken balconies. He stared out the glass wall to the sea and admired the play of the city's light in the water, the graceful movements of the animals. A whale curled around one of the buildings and he marveled at the way it avoided the glass bridges. The stairwell that would have once been used to get here was to his left and there was a flaming gas leak that promised he wouldn't be disturbed by any common Splicer.

 

Ryan cocked his head as he heard a noise. Someone approaching, someone heavy. His rivet gun was propped up against the wall and he grabbed the handle of it, ready to fight. It was someone scaling the wall. He was overly familiar with that large body and those goggles and he released the device. He watched as the man swung over and dropped onto the balcony close by. There was a cocky grin on that handsome face, hair covered by that leather cap he preferred. A single finger snagged the middle of the man's goggles and yanked them down around his neck. Those eyes were a bright, clear blue and they struck Ryan to the core.

 

As they'd always done.

 

Geoff was the epitome of everything he should have been, everything he inspired to be. The man was so much more normal than the other Big Daddies no matter the series. He spoke well and was self-aware. There was no faltering mood swings or bursts of rage – he was in control at all times. He was a planner, a schemer, a natural born leader. That stability was something Ryan admired more than he envied.

 

Geoff was his only friend in this entire city. The few other Big Daddies of their series wanted nothing to do with him. He was the guinea pig, the sacrificial lamb to their perfection. His mind had been destroyed and his body toyed with so that a Big Daddy as perfect as Geoff could emerge. He had been the first one Ryan had seen after being put to sleep to wait for the presentation to Andrew Ryan. But the reawakening had not been a peaceful one, nor one in front of the leader of the city at the time. It had been an accident, some kind of energy pulse that had kicked on the machines around the tubes that had kept the subjects asleep.

 

Ryan remembers waking in a panic with a tube down his throat and completely submerged in thick, nutritional fluid that clogged his eyes and filled his nose. Restrained as he'd been, he'd irrationally been afraid to drown all cooped up like this. But he'd been saved. Geoff had been the one to pry off the door to his cryochamber and help him out, strong hands easing the tube out from between his lips and patting his back until he'd coughed up all the preservative fluid that had been filling up his lungs and stomach. Kind words had been uttered to him as he hacked and afterwards he'd been manhandled to his feet. Geoff had taken one long look down his body and whistled with a cheeky grin, gaze lingering between his thighs at limp flesh. He'd called him a _big boy_ and had let his eyes drink their fill until Ryan had fumbled to hide himself. Geoff had been merciful and found him some proper clothes, some armor, and then given him his weapons. Some he'd had to search for, others had been ready for them in a industrial grade cabinet.

 

Ryan still had the nutritional goop sopping his hair and soaking into his clothes when Geoff had pushed him out the door and ordered him to go find a Little Brother. Not even an hour later he had done so, taking his first sip of ADAM from Ray's body in a run down office not a mile from where Geoff had kicked him out.

 

It had taken a few days of aimless wandering and enjoyment of his new Little Boy for him to truly comprehend where he was and what was happening. His past had become a muddied fog that he couldn't comb through and, after stowing his boy away for safety, he'd returned to the hidden lab in hopes of figuring out who he was.

 

Geoff had been there. Maybe he'd never left, maybe he'd been waiting, but all those suspicious thoughts had flown out the window when the man had greeted him as 'Ryan'.

 

“ _Who?”_

 

“ _They really did a job on you, didn't they buddy?”_

 

Geoff had barricaded the door to give them some privacy before he'd started going through the filing cabinets, chattering away about who he knew him to be. 'James Ryan Haywood'. All that Ryan knew about himself, all he used to be, came from Geoff's lips and the files he found for him. The other man's mind wasn't as scrambled as Ryan's own, he could remember his before-life, and he trusted him.

 

The day stuck in the lab he learned just how horribly far the scientists had gone to create a new batch of Big Daddies.

 

Those that were “gathered” off the streets for the Beta Series had been kept all together in a secure area, a single reinforced glass room. They had talked and got to know each other, had grown friendships from their terrible predicament. Ryan's memories were fuzzy and scattered but he could string pieces together from Geoff's stories and started coming up with details by himself. The few things he'd managed to remember about himself – his teaching career, his homeless status before he'd been capture – had been shown to him by his friend in his own file.

 

“ _Says here you were brought to Rapture to teach but you didn't follow the curriculum. 'Terminated for outspoken ideals. Assets seized.' They didn't like the cut of your jib, good buddy.”_

 

Thankfully seeing the print had truly triggered them and from them spidering recollections. More personal things like his love of sketching and classic novels had been resurfaced because they were things he'd told Geoff when they were locked in that small room together.

 

After some insistent prodding, Geoff had told more of the upsetting the stories that had happened within the lab. How they'd done the experimentation in stages, daily rounds of steroids and shocks and numerous injections they had subjected Ryan to before they had started on the others. The memories bubbled up, sometimes popping but other times swelling until he could almost relive them.

 

Being thrown back into the glass cage, sobbing and shaking as his body fought against itself. Bones thickening with a pain he could hardly bare, muscles doubling in size – blood had leaked from every orifice and he had sobbed all the way through it. Geoff was always there when he returned to drag him into his lap in hopes of providing even the smallest amount of comfort. In his dreams he could feel the older man's fingers in his hair, his whiskey-husked voice in his ear promising that everything would be alright. But eventually his mind started to go.

 

“ _Don't think about it the pain. Think about home, about that study you bragged about and all those books...”_

 

“ _I-I don't remember anymore. I don't remember any of it. Help me, Geoff.”_

 

“ _I'm not going anywhere.”_

 

He lost his memories and his voice, but never Geoff.

 

When they'd nicked his vocal chords trying to alter his lymph nodes, Geoff had still made an effort to communicate with him. Ryan had dredged up half-remembered ASL, a skill he'd learned on a whim on the surface. Geoff had never really seen it before but he quickly picked up on it in his eagerness to keep their friendship going. It became a bastardized language but it was enough for them in their little cage with the other cowering members.

 

There was another man, another guinea pig, that disappeared along with Ryan on the gurneys. He died so quickly that they'd never learned his name. No matter what kind of poison they pumped into him, no matter what treatment they put him through, Ryan lived. A shattered survivor. He'd never forgotten those signals or movements, muscle memory keeping him on top of things. They'd continued to talk until they were forcefully separated.

 

Ryan truly hadn't remembered Geoff at first and it had taken a lot of coaxing to get close again. The lack of true memory made it a blind trust and his friend had yet to let him down.

 

In the present, Geoff hurried up to the larger Big Daddy with the thrilling story of his new Little Brother on his tongue. The other removed his mask and hood. He stopped short when he saw the solemn look on Ryan's face. He knew the man had limited emotion and it was strange to see him so flat.

 

“What's wrong, Haywood?”

 

Ryan shook his head and forced a smile.

 

Geoff tisked disapprovingly and leaned his shoulder against the glass, arms folding over his chest and ankle crossing lazily over his other leg. He eyed the bigger man but he was trying hard to contain any outward sign of distress. “Ryan. I'd like to think us brothers. Brothers who watch over Brothers.” His joke fell flat and he cleared his throat. “You can tell me anything, buddy.”

 

He clapped a hand on Ryan's shoulder and gave it a good squeeze so he could feel it through the layers. “I'm right here for you.”

 

Geoff racked his mind for what his friend's sourness could be about and he thought of Ray, Ryan's sweet Little Brother he liked to brag about.

 

“How is your Little Boy?” Geoff pushed.

 

Ryan opened his mouth but closed it, frowning. He mulled over the concept before he gestured around his head to convey the meaning. _He doesn't think he's beautiful. He thinks he deserves to be alone in a dark room. Away from everyone._

 

Geoff repeated it to make sure he read the movements right and when he got the nod he scoffed. “What? From what you told me, he's a little dreamboat.”

 

Ryan nodded. “Should n-never...feel...like that.”

 

The strain of the words made Geoff smile sadly. “We can't control everything our boys feel.”

 

“Bad Big Daddy.” Ryan lamented with a harsh frown. “If not Daddy, then... _monster_.”

 

Ryan dropped down onto the balls of his feet and wrapped his arms around his legs, chin resting on the curve of his knees. Sorrow riddled eyes were still fixated out the window.

 

“You're not a monster, Ryan,” Geoff swore adamantly. “You're a little rough around the edges, buddy, but there's nothing wrong with that.”

 

He pet through the waves of Ryan's blonde hair and the other man's eyes fell closed, enjoying the sensation. Ryan dropped into a proper, subservient crouch and pushed into those strong fingers. Nails scratched lightly across his scalp and he liked it more than he wanted to admit.

 

“You're a good boy,” Geoff promised in a husky whimper.

 

Ryan made a rough, purr-like sound.

 

“You know what? I think it's time you met my Little Brother,” Geoff announced suddenly. “And I can meet your tiny Ray.”

 

The other Big Daddy hummed in agreement.

 

“I don't like you two off on your own in the Market. It's too open. I worry about you, buddy.” Geoff lifted the man's head and scratched lightly through that strawberry blonde beard he'd begun to appreciate. The bristled grazed against his fingertips and the tingling sensation made him smile. Ryan's lids fell low and he made another one of those cattish sounds. “You big oaf.”

 

Ryan enjoyed the touches for a little bit longer before he got back to his feet. They exchanged smiles before they both looked out the glass. The negative feelings fell away as the peace of the ocean sunk like a blanket around their hearts. Geoff pressed his forehead to the chilly wall and let himself enjoy the quiet moment. One of Ryan's great, gloved paws pushed against the glass.

 

“Feel it?”

  
  
Geoff's eyes slowly opened and he frowned a little.

 

“Something,” Ryan grunted. “Up there.”

 

He scoffed. “Nothing up there is our concern.”

 

Ryan shook his head and swallowed, scarred throat bobbing. “Coming.”

 

His frown deepened. “You think something from the surface world is coming down here?”

 

Ryan nodded quickly.

 

“You psychic now?” Geoff tried to tease, though there was a lump in his stomach. “What? Is it something bad?”

 

Ryan scowled as his frustration for his lack of voice grew. He gestured with both hands, tapping his fingertips together before his hand tossed lightly between their bodies. Geoff's eyes followed the movements, squinting.

 

“Something more? Something like us?”

 

Ryan nodded again. “In the water. Change.”

 

Geoff chewed on the words for a few moments. He put a hand on the glass but there was nothing there for him to feel. “Ryan. Did you see something in the lab that I didn't?”

 

Ryan's thumb arched off his forehead with a shake of his head. _I can't remember. Maybe?_

 

Geoff didn't want to push his friend. He knew Ryan had already reached his limit when he was using their strange language.

 

“Well,” he huffed, mind already whirring with a plan, “If something's coming, we can deal with it when it gets here.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Two days later, Ryan informed Ray that they were going to go meet his friend. His boy happily agreed and crawled onto his shoulder, extractor dangling down his back. “I'm ready, Daddy.”

 

It was a bit of a trip but Ryan took his boy to the vent at the Atlantic Express Depot with explicit instructions. “Up, and left. Not take long.”

 

“What's the place called?” Ray asked, still perched on his guardian's shoulders with a hand on the vent lip. “Where we're meeting him, I mean. Usually there are maintenance signs.”

 

Ryan took a long breath before he choked out. “Adonis Luxury Resort.”

 

Ray nodded confidently and pressed a kiss to his protector's mouth over the cover of his mask. “I'll see you on the other side, Daddy.”

 

The boy repeated the name in his head over and over as he crawled along the bronze tunnels. He had a vague idea of where it was from roaming the city for years but he wasn't sure if he'd actually been there. He was in the middle of recalling some sort of high class spa when his nose twitched. Spicy sweetness in the air. _ADAM_. A fat load of it too. His extractor weighed heavy in his hand, camera clacking off it as he moved more quickly. He followed his nose accidentally to the right. The boy's mind went fuzzy as his thoughts swirled around ADAM and getting more of it. A present for his Big Daddy, a gift to make him strong.

 

_All for my Daddy, everything for him. All the ADAM he can drink straight from my body. I can't grow fat with his babies, but I can swell up with ADAM for him._

 

Ray squeaked as he suddenly hit light and the vent disappeared beneath his hands. He crawled head first straight out of the tunnel and nearly bashed his skull on the ground. A last minute roll kept him from truly hurting himself. He whined and rubbed his poor knees but quieted when he saw the train tracks on the ground. No, too small to be a train. He picked up his head and looked around the area. It was something like a string of museum displays with tracks in front of them made for some kind of cart, something to maybe carry an audience along. Each display had a speaker box to explain it and the areas lit up with different kinds of scenes. The whole thing was half in ruins.

 

Ray peered up at a pointed sign that was designed to usher people in the right direction. “ '[Ryan Amusements](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIB30tyxXY0&feature=youtu.be)'? It's a...ride?”

 

Feeling bold, Ray followed the uneven tracks down to the first major display. He was curious, he'd never been to this section of the city. And the ADAM, he could smell it close by. As he passed by one of the scenes he seemed to trigger it as a spotlight turned on and lit up a desk with an animatronic man sitting at it.

 

Ray frowned and stepped into the display, circling the desk to look over the metal man. He was handsome in a way, voice pleasant enough as it poured out of the speakers.

 

' _Why, hello there, my name is Andrew Ryan. I built the city of Rapture for children just like you, because the world above had become unfit for us.'_

 

Ray reached out and touched the cold cheek, fingertips dancing along the painted line of his hair. This was the man who founded Rapture, the infamous Andrew Ryan. And he was talking about the surface world?

 

' _But here, beneath the ocean, it is natural to wonder if the danger has passed, if those we left behind will ever come to their senses. So, let us imagine, you and I, what might befall us...on the surface._ '

 

Down the tracks, the next display lit up like it was the start of a path. Ray was a curious lad, he'd admit that, but he also didn't give much thought on the world outside of Rapture. Sometimes the stories he read would seep into his dreams and his imagination would construct the surface as a place for him to play in. He fantasized about sunshine and beaches, of rolling hills and forests, but he'd never really sought out any means to reach those scenes. He remembered his brief schooling, he knew the surface was the equivalent of a Hell on Earth, a practical nuclear wasteland. There was nothing up there for anyone.

 

But it wouldn't hurt to listen to a few things about it?

 

~*~

 

Ray thought he could slowly watch every display and listen to the audio but he quickly grew horrified. They were wretched things full of ghastly images with giant, imposing hands that descended form the ceiling to wrench apart pre-disposed houses and push down other animatronics in symbolic displays of repression. And with these horrifying images there was the booming, dominant voice of Andrew Ryan I his ears.

 

A farm display with a cute family. ' _On the surface, the farmer tills the soil, trading the strength of his arm for a home and lands of his own. But the Parasites say, “No! What is yours is ours! We are the state, we are God, we demand our share”_ '

 

Andrew Ryan, smug and sitting at his desk. ' _The Parasite makes nothing for itself. Its only tools are taxes and tithes, meant to trick you into offering what is has not earned. In Rapture, we keep what is ours._ '

 

Ray tried to cover his ears as he raced past but it was no use.

 

A scientist display, the shell of a man rising to the ceiling only to be pushed back down by one of those horrifying hands. ' _On the surface, the scientist invests the power of his mind in a single miraculous idea and naturally begins to rise above his fellows. But the Parasites say, “No! Discovery must be regulated! It must be controlled and finally surrendered.”_ '

 

A proud artist, a unnaturally large hand lowering from the ceiling to cover his work. ' _On the surface, an artist strives to frame his ideals in an image, to challenge his audience and make his vision immortal. But the Parasites say, “No! Your art must serve the cause! Your deals endanger the people!”_ '

 

Ray slipped hard on a wet piece of paper. The boy staggered a few feet but managed to keep from eating a face-full of rotted wood. He looked back, almost afraid to see what his Mary Jane had caught on, and was surprised to see it was a pamphlet. He knelt down and carefully picked it up. It looked old and was smeared heavily in blood but the rough-cut edges, the poor staple job as binding. It looked like something the rebels would have circulated in secret. He peeled it open and frowned at the ruined material. Why would it be here?

 

There was only one section that was legible and it rested below the smudged picture of what seemed to be a very pretty woman.

 

_Rapture is a secret..._

_So, your parents bring you somewhere to feed you ice lollies_

_and terrify you out of ever leaving the perfect city all around you._

_That's Ryan Amusements._

_  
-Sophia Lamb_

 

Lamb. He knew that name. That was the woman who tried to take over Rapture after Andrew Ryan had fallen. He wasn't sure what had come of her but he didn't hear her name anymore. The pamphlet was tossed aside and he hurried along the track. The call of ADAM had gone quiet and he started to panic, worried that he'd gone too far off the scent trail. He rushed to the last display and stopped dead.

 

This place had been vandalized. The animatronic had been mauled, blinded and chained, limbs torn off and torso displayed like warning. [Ominous statements](https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2780/4397632962_74d3655d27_z.jpg) had been written on the wall with what looked like white paint or thick chalk.

 

**Lamb will Lead The Way**

 

**The end of RYAN is the end of the SELF**

 

**Reject the tyranny of the Self**

 

Ray padded closer to the wall, small hands clenching into fists as he read the last line of out loud. “Rapture failed. We will not.”

 

What kind of cruel place had he stumbled into? Who had done this?

 

The lights kicked on and he spotted a corpse with a familiar hole in its belly. ADAM had been drained and recently from the scent of it still in the air and the few drops that had fallen to the floor. A Little Brother (or someone with one of their extractors) had already been here. He cringed when Andrew Ryan's garbled voice filled the makeshift room.

 

' _Unable to provide for itself, the need of the Parasite grows until war is made to justify it. Your parents brought you to Rapture, where you need never fear the Parasites again. So you see, there is no place for you on the surface._ '

 

Ray gaped at the destroyed torso, shock running like ice water through his veins.

 

' _But you may bring the world to you! If you know someone who belongs in Rapture, write a letter to the Ryan Industries mail room. And you never know! The next new face...might be familiar.”_

 

The last word was mangled and then the lights flicked off, audio ending. Everything he'd seen had enforced his fear of the surface but it felt too easy. The terror was spoon fed to him. Was this place designed to convince small children to stay in Rapture as the propaganda had said? It felt like... _brainwashing._ It made his skin crawl thinking of toddlers being dragged past these displays and getting spoon fed such negativity. Even if it was the truth, it instilled true fear, and that didn't feel right.

 

Ray whimpered as a bolt of pain shot between his temples. He rubbed his forehead, little dots dancing behind his clenched eyelids. His brain felt like it was fizzling. He tried to keep thinking of Rapture, of the poor children, but it was like smashing his head against an invisible wall.  _ADAM. I need ADAM, I need my Daddy. Ryan, please, where are you?_

 

He could feel leather straps on his wrists, metal wrapped snug around his head and silver hooks clipped under his eyelids so that he was forced to watch strange screens. Needles buried deep in his skin, calm voices telling him he was the “sweetest little girl”. Isolated, icy cage bars against his fingers, stitches in his belly...

 

“ _Find the angels. Find the ADAM._ _Obey your Big Daddy.”_

 

Ray whimpered loudly and clutched the sides of his head. There was nothing restraining him, no one whispering, but the feeling was overwhelming.

 

“Oh what the fuck is this?”

 

Ray's eyes popped open. That voice wasn't in his head. Thick arms curled around his waist and swept him up against a solid chest. He was too stunned to scream and the speed at which the man – because it was certainly a man – ran off with him was enough to steal his breath. He should have thrashed, fought back, but he actually clung to the massive body as they busted into the doors of one of the half-ersatz buildings. A hand easily shielded the top of his head before they launched up, busting through the ceiling and into the second floor.

 

This floor was dark except for the light that trickled in from the boarded up windows. Plywood and cheap varnish – it was all for show. There was a desk pushed up against the wall next to a window and he was dropped onto it. He whined and watched the man stand in front of the boards to see outside at the tracks they were just on. There were noises but the boy's mind was too scattered to focus. All he could think was that maybe his Big Daddy was out there looking for him.

 

Ray sucked in a breath to scream but a large, covered hand slapped over his mouth. The man was lightning fast and seemed to materialize in front of him, not quite as tall as Ryan but he had the same intimidating glower. The dark goggles that would have hidden them was perched on top of his capped head.

 

“What are you doing, Little Boy?” the man hissed, the blue of his eyes shocking Ray into compliance. “Where's your Daddy? You shouldn't run off and be out in the open like that. You shouldn't have left the vents. You're much too precious to just be wandering around.”

 

Ray shook his head, brows pinching over his scared gaze.

 

“There are a team of Brutes out there. They're dangerous enough that I can admit I'd have some trouble taking them head on.”

 

The hand fell away and Ray quivered, fat tears welling up in his eyes before rolling down his cheeks. From the hum of ADAM in the man's body, the size, the normal complexion – this was a Big Daddy, one like his own. _Ryan._ All those confusing messages about the surface, the lack of ADAM, and being without his Daddy set off a spiral in the boy. His voice was shot and he could only cry, shoulders heaving in suppressed sobs.

 

“Oh, kid, don't cry,” the man begged. Ray shook his head and more tears fell. He pushed off his glasses and rubbed his bleary eyes but he only made them sting. He uselessly stuttered out his Daddy's name and the man perked up. “Did you say 'Ryan'? You must be Ray. I'm Geoff, I'm his friend. Did you get lost?”

 

The boy nodded.

 

“Don't you worry one second. I won't let anyone hurt you.” Fingers brushed his cheeks to smear away the tears. “Oh, little sweetheart, stop all that. Come here, I'll kiss it better.”

 

Ray pawed at his shoulders but it didn't stop the man from crowding into his space. The heady spice of ADAM swamped his nose and then he was kissed, the taste seeping across his protesting tongue. Panic spiked his fluttering heart. Ray was pinned tight to the wall and he felt the scrape of the man's rough clothing against his high socks and then on the first hint of his inner thigh as he got between his legs.

 

“Don't hurt me,” Ray begged against the insistent mouth.

 

“I would never. Relax. You're wound up like a toy.”

 

Geoff's kiss gentled but was firm. The man's lips became a grounding point, a center of focus for his cracked consciousness. Gloves were stripped away and warm, bare hands started running over his shoulders and down his arms. The touch was confidant and chaste, lingering along his ribs but drifting up so those fingers could lightly massage his scalp. Ray's neck grew loose and he let the man move his head how he wanted, slanting their mouths together more completely as he was pet so gently. It reminded him of Ryan – loving, soft, and he relaxed.

 

Then he started to kiss back.

 

Geoff took that last step closer and Ray felt his groin press flush against the man's wide stomach. The boy gasped in the seal of their lips and scooted closer, lithes arms curling around the other's muscles shoulders. They felt much more rounded out than his own Daddy's but he preferred the bulk of Ryan, the savage power that would churn just under his fingers. But Geoff was so close, and right here – kissing him as if he loved him, sweeping his palms over him to soothe all the whizzing nerves under his skin. Ray flushed as he felt blood rush to his cock and his hips moved just enough to rub himself against the man's firm muscle.

 

“I can see why Ryan's so proud of you, sweet boy,” Geoff murmured, a hand splayed in the dip of the boy's spine to encourage the subtle grind. The adorable nub was only plump and he was sure his friend wouldn't mind if he gave his Little Brother some physical comfort. “Just be nice and quiet. Those bastards will go away soon and then we'll get you back to your Daddy.”

 

Ray nodded and despite the shine in his eyes he smiled. He was a little embarrassed at his reaction but it wasn't what he felt like when he was with Ryan. He slowly rubbed his half-hard flesh into the other and he basked at how _comfortable_ he suddenly was. It wasn't to get off, he just adored the warm feeling. Thoughts of Rapture's past and Splicers and faceless scientists with cold hands went up in smoke.

 

Ray broke their kiss to rub noses with the Big Daddy, a tiny primal noise passing into the man's mouth.

 

“If you belonged to any other Big Daddy...” Geoff mused as he ran his thumb over the boy's panty-clad cock. Ray cooed and sunk his head down onto the Daddy's shoulder. He forced himself to drag his hand away, skirt kissing his knuckles on the way out. “I'll see you straight back into Ryan's arms."

 

“Thank you, Geoff.”

 

 

 

 


	7. The Gang's All Here - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Ray meet Michael and he's the most intoxicating creature they ever did see.

“ _This world values children, not childhood… there’s a profit to be made and men who make it.”  
-Elizabeth_

 

~*~

 

On his way to the Adonis Luxury Resort (Geoff's choice of a meeting place) Ryan ran into a few groups of Splicers. He cleared the floor and barricaded the doors he could find, burning out control panels on the doors that allowed it. The Splicers that had gotten through wouldn't be getting back in. He made two laps around the area to secure it as best he could and when he was satisfied he just started darting from vent to fevent looking for signs of his Little Brother.

 

“Ray?” Ryan called ino the holes, voice starting to crack as he grew more worried. Distressed whines starting slipping from between pursed lips. He braced his hands on either side of one of vent and forced out a long, mournful cry. Anything could have happened to Ray in the walls and he'd never know. There could have been a break in the vents, a flood, an ill-timed rush of fire. There could have been a break in the tunnel and Ray could have fallen into a Splicer pit. Ryan's heart lurched at the thought of his Little Boy scared and alone, cowering as hungry hands reached for him. Ray screaming for him as fingers ripped into his rib cage and tore open his stomach, ADAM spilling as thick as blood as they destroyed him.

 

A veil of red fell over his eyes and he puffed out an angry breath. If someone had put their hands on Ray he would destroy this entire city without an ounce of hesitation.

  
Ryan's tantrum distracted him so badly he didn't hear the little girlish grunts coming from the vent across the room. Two pale hands curled along the rim and soon a boy emerged. He plopped down onto the ground, short heels clicking off the floor. The sound caught Ryan's attention and he whipped around, rage gone in place of surprised curiosity. He swore for a moment he saw an angel, a real one.

 

It was a young lady. _No_ , a young boy. He sniffed the air. A Little Brother?

 

The boy was smoothing his curls and fixing his clothes. A white sarong draped across his long legs and knotted enticingly at his hip. With every step he took there was a flash of siren red stockings and inky black garters. A creamy, short sleeved white sweater sliced a straight neckline above a chest he didn't have but showed off his collarbones rather nicely. He had bowed, too-pink lips that glistened as the light trickled across him. Mile-long lashes fanned across glowing eyes and there was a delicate flush to his skin. A purse hung off his shoulder and Ryan almost couldn't believe his eyes that this was a boy. His Ray enjoyed delicate clothes but this was something new.

 

Ryan's eyes were drawn to the satin ribbon collar tied around the boy's throat. It curved into a fat bow that sat at the nape of his neck, twin ribbons going down his back and brushing over the generous curve of his ass.

 

“You must be Ryan.”

 

The Big Daddy took a few steps to meet him but was overcome with a bout of shyness and ended up hunching in on himself, trying to appear smaller as the radiant boy approached him. Ryan tensed as the boy closer and he caught a whiff of expensive perfume. This was an exotic creature and if he knew his name then this must be –

 

“Michael?”

 

“Yes.” The word slid as smoothly over the man as those painted fingertips did. Michael slowly circled him and let his digits trail along Ryan's covered chest, the line of hip, the curve of his spine. Ryan could barely feel it through all his layers but the attention made him flush. “You're so very _big_. Bigger than my Daddy, even. Blonde, too. Those _eyes_. He's told me all about you, you know. His gentle giant friend.”

 

Ryan ducked his head, embarrassed. Michael chuckled at the action and circled around in front of him. Buttery smooth palms cupped Ryan's bearded jaw, though it was strain to get up so high, and he found himself obeying the light demand to bend down. The kiss was unexpected and he grunted, but the way Michael's fingers tucked just through his hair and under his ears had somehow choked off his immediate reaction to jerk away. Ryan's cheeks burned hot, eyes wide as he tried to figure out what he was doing. No other Little Brother had shown him an ounce of attention. He'd tried to adopt two before he'd found Ray but they had screamed and ran away from him. One had screamed 'monster' and it had broken his heart.

 

In a moment of weakness he gave in and allowed himself to enjoy the plush little mouth. It was just pressure and faint pleasure. The hum Ryan heard from the boy was candy sweet and it made him feel strangely pleased.

 

“I have to wonder if you're a big boy all over,” Michael purred, as he so gently rubbed their noses.

 

Ryan sputtered and stood up to his full height, hands held out as if to defend himself. Michael giggled and playfully edged toward him just to see the way the Big Daddy stumbled back to keep his distance. “No, please. Ray. _My_ Ray. Can't, please.” Choked versions of his Little Boy's name escaped him as he tried to explain that he was taken, bonded, and his heart was with his own sweet boy.

 

“A one boy Daddy? I can respect that.” Michael shot him a wink. “I'm sorry, big guy, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.” The boy hugged Ryan as well as he could and tucked his face into the man's solar plexus. Ryan hesitated before he carefully pat those wild curls. “I just feel like I know you so well. If Geoff likes you, then I like you.”

 

The way Michael beamed up at him made Ryan's heart give a happy lurch and he smiled, cooing a little as he pet over the boy's back. He wanted to get Ray a sweater like that, something plush against his skin to show off the fine line of his throat. His Little Boy would somehow look even more beautiful like that.

 

Michael boldly took the man's hand and laid it along his face, palm and fingers easily curling around his head protectively. “Do you want some ADAM, Daddy?”

 

Ryan tried to smother the trickle of warmth he felt from having the boy call him such. Michael's eyes were glowing brightly and searching his own. He forced a smile and shook his head.

 

“Are you sure? I'm _brimming_ ,” Michael breathed as he nuzzled into the glove.

 

Ryan sputtered again and shrunk in on himself, shoulders folding and back bowing. He took the hand off Michael's face and put it over his own, hiding his mortified expression. The boy's sultry purr became a giggle and he lovingly patted the Big Daddy on the stomach, ruffling the blonde hair he'd admired earlier. Ryan peeked out from between his fingers and found the Little Brother all spun sugar now instead of the warm, dripping honey he'd been only a moment ago.

 

“We'll just wait for Geoff and your Little Boy to come back then!” Michael declared, raising his arms up with intent. Ryan hesitated only a few moments before he carefully hefted the delicate boy up onto his shoulder. But Michael wasn't as small as Ray and he quickly climbed onto Ryan's back, arms threading through the many straps there and heels finding purchase in the man's belt. “I'm sure if he got lost that my Daddy found him by now. We've just gotta' be patient. Now let's go scope out a tiny area for us, alright?”

 

~*~

 

It was a while later, after they found the perfect room, that Michael and Ryan found themselves in some sort of classical dance room. The Little Brother chattered away to pass the time and eventually started to sing a little, dancing by himself to a song that only he could hear. Ryan plucked nervously at a harp that had managed to stay mostly intact. His lips were chewed raw in worry and every minute he was apart from Ray weighed heavily on his aching heart.

 

There was a rushing noise and the ceiling rumbled. Michael shut his mouth and went into a defensive stance, ready to run at the first sign of trouble. Metal and plaster cracked at the far end of the room before giving out all together. There was a cloud of dust that quickly got whipped up into a cyclone, the whippets collapsing with a great sigh to reveal a dusty figure standing amongst the rubble. Too big to be a regular Splicer, and he was holding something. _Someone_.

 

It was Geoff, and he had Ray cradled in his arms with a hand shielding his ducked head.

 

“Sorry we're late. This little one got lost.” Geoff slowly revealed Ray's confused, blinking face. Michael cooed happily at the sight of him but it was Ryan who's heart broke in relief and remended. He got to his feet as Geoff set the boy down. The other Big Daddy's expression was painfully blank at first but it crumpled in relief when Ray ran up to him with a happy cry of his name.

 

Ryan swept his boy right up off the floor and into his arms. He brought him up until he could press his cheek into his small throat and feel the thump of his pulse, smell the heat of his life and ADAM, the sweetness of his honey perfume. He crooned and rubbed his rough cheek over the sensitive skin. Ray's laugh tinkled like bells in his ears and the boy hugged him back.

 

“I missed you,” Ray purred cutely before pecking a kiss into his hair.

 

“Ray,” Ryan kept repeating in a broken, heartfelt tone. He rained kisses all over whatever he could reach – his smooth cheeks, his dark hair, the curve of his jaw and down his neck. His scarred eyes shone with tears of frustration and the rush of relief. “I-I lost you.”

 

“You didn't lose me,” Ray promised, smiling as his gentle guardian rested his ear against his chest like he wanted to listen to his heartbeat. It was such a tender gesture and it made the boy's heart swell in affection for his Big Daddy. “I'm right here. Geoff found me.”

 

“Geoff,” Ryan's voice cracked as he peeked around his boy's body to look at the other man.

 

Geoff simply waved him off. “Now, now, big guy, don't blubber over me.”

 

Ryan felt much more at ease now that he had Ray back in his grasp but he couldn't help himself from steeling more light kisses. He peppered the boy's face with them until he got a true giggle out of him. The man cooed and rubbed their cheeks together before taking a small kiss from that shapely mouth. With a little bit of convincing, Ryan put his Little Brother down on his feet again. Geoff came up and took Ray's hand, shooting a wink at his friend before he led the boy a few feet away.

 

“Ray, this is _my_ Little Brother,” Geoff introduced. “I have another, Gavin but he's off in the vents somewhere. He said he smelled ADAM in a locked office and I couldn't deny him. I'll go fetch him soon.”

 

Michael came up with an extended hand, all smiles as his ribbons danced behind him. “Jones, Michael Jones.”

 

Ray gaped at the boy and barely managed to shake his hand properly. This was the Little Brother he'd seen dancing. The drape skirt, the lipstick, even the glimpse of sinful garters – he was just as lovely up close if not more so. Ray's tongue tied itself up into a knot and he couldn't stop staring at he other Little Brother. Michael chuckled and seized his hand more firmly before spinning him around, skirt twirling as glowing eyes raked over him appreciately. Ray squeaked as his world blurred up.

 

“I've been wanting to meet you forever! Geoff says Ryan brags about you all the time and I couldn't wait to meet the Little Boy who'd gentled such a fearsome Big Daddy,” Michael gushed. “But I didn't think you'd be so _cute_.”

 

Ray was pulled into a hug and his nose filled up with the smell of vanilla and sunflower. He was frozen at first but gave in as the affectionate hug refused to ease. This was a moment long coming. He'd daydreamed about it so often. “I-I saw you dancing once!” The nervous confession stuttered out of him way too loud and his ears burned.

 

Michael pulled back and was positively gawking at him. “You did? Oh gosh...how...how was it?”

 

“You were beautiful,” Ray breathed, eyes half closed as he remembered the display that had struck him to his core that day when they'd ventured to Olympus Heights. Michael's giggle was more sensual than playful and he took a step forward, forcing the other boy to move back.

 

“You're a fan of mine?” Michael needled with a growing smirk. Ray stumbled back a few steps and his entire face turned beet red. He stuttered out some nonsensical syllables and he sounded a lot like Ryan. “A pretty boy watched me dance and enjoyed it. I should thank you properly for such a nice compliment.”

 

Ray wasn't sure what to say but with the way he was choking on air he wasn't sure he could if he tried. His back smacked the wall and he was trapped.

 

“Come now, Brother, don't be like that!” Michael laughed as he crowded in on him. An impossibly soft hand curled around Ray's nape and urged him into a subtle arch that offered his mouth and showed off the curve of his throat. Their breath mingled only briefly, lashes sweeping low before their lips met in a slow, chaste kiss. Ray made an embarrassingly girly sound as the elegant boy stole his breath and made his heart titter deep within his chest. He could have sworn he felt ADAM rush to his skin in a desperate attempt to get closer to Michael. The touch would have been sharp if it hadn't been so  _luscious._ Ray heard music, he felt silk, and it was all expensive perfume and high class bars straight out of his books.

 

A hot tongue swiped along his lip and he _melted_ against the wall.

 

Michael broke the seal of their mouths and nosed at the other boy's cheek, sticky lips skimming up his ear to leave a trail of pink in their wake. A slight inhale tickled Ray's ear. “You taste like honey.”

 

“Michael!” Geoff called with a warning tone. “Leave the poor boy alone.”

 

“I'm sorry, Daddy.” Michael thumbed the other boy's cheek to smear the color he'd left behind. “I just love him already.”

 

~*~

 

The 'locked' office was much more barricaded from the inside. Thankfully there was a vent that had fed straight into it. It had taken so long to find the right path but eventually Gavin had tumbled into it. The gurgling of ADAM pumping into the canister bounced off the walls along with his pleased humming. With this next injection he would be full up and Geoff could give him a proper milking. He bit his lip in anticipation. He loved rolling around in bed with his Daddy and the other Little Brother. Michael's pretty mouth was always wet and willing to go wherever Gavin urged and Geoff had such amazing stamina.

 

Gavin pinked up and rubbed his cheeks as he remembered the other night. Both he and Michael had been spread out on the bed, naked except for the stockings they had put on each other. They had prepped each other with sweet smelling oil before Geoff had come back from patrol. When he appeared they called out to him so longingly and spread their legs, hips canted up in a way Michael had shown him to expose their little holes for use. It had been a heady experience to watch the Big Daddy lose control and push up close to them wearing nothing but his miles of muscle. They'd been filled in unison with as many fingers as Geoff had managed to fit inside them, nearly growling as they squealed and rocked themselves on the thick digits.

 

And Geoff had...by God's rolling ocean, Geoff had _tied_ Michael up with his own ribbon and forced him to sit bound against the headboard as Gavin had gotten the fucking of his life. He had moaned and screamed for Michael per their Daddy's request, forcing him to proclaim how good it felt to be so full. And he'd shouted every word with sincere pleasure, praising his thick cock and the way it dragged along a hidden spot that caused such great pleasure. After Geoff had spilled inside him he'd been forced to bend over and show his dripping hole to Michael, to confess how _bred_ he felt.

 

“ _I can feel it so deeply, Michael. N-No, Daddy, don't let it spill out!"_

 

Gavin had then been gifted with the loveliest image of Geoff growing hard once more and forcing the other Little Boy to bounce on his cock. All those fleshy curves bouncing, flushing, looking so perfect for teeth to sink into. The very thought made him stir within his tiny silk shorts.

 

Gavin stood up straight and his senses prickled, hair standing up on end and goosebumps cropping up across his skin. Years of being alone had given him quite the instinct and he always trusted them. It felt like there was something there. He was about to bolt but he didn't sense _danger_ exactly. It was more like someone was calling his name from far away, a sense of syllables and echos.

 

The air was stirring, it seemed. There was something in the water. _A heavy storm? No, can't be._

 

“Strange,” he muttered out loud.

 

~*~

 

Geoff and Ryan led the way to the room that had been chosen earlier. The Little Brothers trailed behind them obediently and kept their eyes on the ceiling for any Spider Splicers. Ray was buzzing with nerves over meeting his secret idol and a new Daddy he already liked. He'd promised Ryan he'd be more outgoing and less down on himself but it was hard when he was standing next to such an elegant Little Brother.

 

Michael saw the distress on his new friend's face and moved closer to lace their arms, fingers tangling. Ray spotted the delicate sea foam nail polish there, then fell to his heels. Michael's sweater hinted at a cleavage he didn't have and it made the boy stare at his flat chest, blouse tucked in his skirt. Michael's own skirt wasn't typical in the way it knotted so precisely to show off a stocking clad leg with every step. The ivory material parting for rose red and raven, a mix of sin and innocence.

 

“Michael? Are you...a girl?”

 

Michael's laugh wasn't mocking but one of great amusement. He hid it behind the back of his hand almost shyly. Some long-lost memories swirled in the back of his mind but he didn't prod at them. He'd learned long ago they wouldn't come up. “I've always admired the girls in the magazines and on the posters, at the fancy shows.”

  
“You look just like them,” Ray swore.

 

Michael fluttered all over, standing a little straighter and fixing his ribbon collar. “Oh, that's very sweet.”

 

“I just ask because Geoff called you 'miss' but you're, you know...”

 

“Why do I have to be one or the other?” Michael pouted briefly. “I'm a Little Brother. I'm a doll for my Daddy.”

 

“But-”

 

Michael gave a little twirl and his skirt billowed out. Ray's mouth went draw as he saw the full view of the intimate garters and the lines they cut across his pale thighs. He wondered what it would be like to wear such things, or to kiss the silk-covered legs. “Aren't I the prettiest, Ray?”

 

Ray swallowed thickly and nodded.

 

“Then why can't it just end there?”

 

Ray couldn't believe how easy it sounded. Just be _both_? Maybe neither at the same time. He'd mourned his lack of girl parts for so long but his new friend's easy words unwound some of that. His hand was taken up so the boy could kiss it and another smear of color painted his knuckles. “Why, Ray? Do you wanna' be a girl?”

 

Ray chewed his lip and tasted the wax of the other boy's lipstick. He glanced at his Daddy to make sure he wasn't paying attention before he nodded.

 

“Really?” Michael frowned curiously and squeezed his fingers. “Why?”

 

“We were all orphaned,” Ray began in a hushed whisper. “I was given up and I don't know why. And I can't help but think that maybe if I had been a pretty little girl I wouldn't have been dumped off so easily.” There was a little fizzle along his mind and the reason felt almost artificial on his tongue. He shook his head and put on a smile. “And if I was a girl I could give Ryan babies.”

 

Michael's brow pinched up as he thought it all over. He didn't let go of Ray's hand. Instead, he used it as a grounding point, a rock against the flood of feelings. There was a lump in his throat and he swallowed several times to get words past it. “Maybe...maybe we were no better to trash to them.” He teared up rather prettily before he smiled. “But family is who loves you, right? Our Big Daddies love us. Isn't that enough?

 

The truth of it made the other boy's stomach erupt into butterflies. “Well...yes...but wouldn't we be better if we could be Mommies for them? We could give hem a family and raise little babies who were loved like we we weren't?”

 

“Silly, we're not meant to be Mommies. _We're_ their Little Boys. We're the babies,” Michael husked as he pressed tight up along the boy's side, fingers running down his arm and pressing firmly on the sensitive skin of his palm. “Who else do they need but us?”

 

Ray felt that honeyed warmth drip through him and his breath came a little harder. Long-ingrained fears seemed to clatter behind him like dropped beads, clinking and rolling away to be left behind. He accepted the chaste little kiss Michael gave him and let himself fall under the siren spell of those confidant words. He didn't need to give Ryan babies. He had himself to give, his body and mind and ADAM...what use were children, anyway? Just more things to steal his Big Daddy's attention.

 

“Besides!” Michael perked up, “You don't need to be a girl to be prettied up!”

 

Ray frowned slightly at that. “What do you mean?”

 

The other boy touched his purse with a mischievous smile. “Let me show you.”

 

~*~

 

The room was a small observatory with a domed glass wall and ceiling with neat panels being cut with iron borders. Over-stuffed couches and love seats peppered the thickly carpeted floor. The boys had settled on a backless couch and had pulled up one of the foot rests over to serve as a desk for the spread of makeup Michael had pulled out of his purse.

 

While the Little Brothers had taken the bottom deck to get to know each other, their Daddies were up the stairs on the elevated second floor. It was where the only door to the room spilled into and the perfect vantage point for potential danger.

 

Ryan leaned heavily against he railing, bent down so he could rest his chin on his palm. His hood, mask, and gloves lay discarded on a nearby chair but his weapons were propped up on either side of him, just in case. Seeing Ray blossom under Michael's attention did his heart good and he soaked in the sight of the two like a drowning man. He'd been hoping to have Ray meet the confidant boy for a while now and it seemed to be doing him a world of good. He'd heard the two of them talking about Ray's issue and he was relieved that Michael had soothed the worry he hadn't been able to. He'd tried to explain to his charge that he didn't need children, that he wasn't even sure he was able to, but it was difficult when he couldn't manage more than a few words at a time. He'd tried to show with his touch but Ray deserved more.

 

A warm body pressed up behind him, hips slotting rather snugly along his own. Ryan went to pick his head up and straighten but a hand splayed between his shoulder blades and kept him partially down. Geoff fit nicely against him from thigh to chest, a chin digging lightly into the back of his shoulder. Ryan ducked his face to hide his reddening cheeks. The man was so warm and his hands were bold along his waist and hips. It was a muted feeling but there was great strength behind it. There was a twinge of guilt as he was hugged. Usually he would get great comfort from Geoff's touch but there was something he had to say.

 

“Kissed Michael,” Ryan grunted out.

 

Geoff chuckled. “Oh did you? How did that happen?”

 

“He...” he trailed off, not wanting to blame the boy for his own weakness.

 

“I bet he did,” Geoff finished for him. “My boy can be a little slag when he wants to. I promise you, buddy, he wasn't trying to cause you any trouble with the little hen. He just likes what he likes. Honestly though, I'm not much better.”

 

Ryan made a confused noise and gasped slightly when a hand laid over his belt and started to slide lower.

 

“I may have put my mouth on your boy too,” Geoff confessed. “He was ready to start screaming for you with a bunch of Brutes around and I had to keep him quiet somehow. Nice and cute, that boy, but so tiny...don't know how you get this inside his little body.”

 

Fingers curled tight along his crotch and he nearly lurched forward, eyes popping wide in surprise. Geoff hushed him but continued to paw as his cock began to fill with interest.

 

“Did you enjoy my pretty Michael?”

 

Ryan nodded tightly, knuckles going white as he curled his hands along the railing. “Ray?”

 

“Oh yeah. He's so damn cute, Rye. You lucky dog.” Their height differences frustrated Geoff because he wanted nothing more than press a kiss on Ryan's slack mouth but he couldn't reach like this. Instead he squeezed harder at the swelling cock so he could feel the fat head of it strain against his fingers. “Our Little Boys are so beautiful, aren't they? Their tiny lips all over each other earlier...I don't know about you, buddy, but I got a little breathless.”

 

Ryan grunted in agreement as he remembered the way his charge's cheeks had flushed as he kissed Michael. It had been a lovely image and he'd shamefully imagined the noises Ray would make if the other boy's hands had slipped up his skirt and played under his cotton panties.

 

“Maybe if we keep bringing them together like this, we'll be able to see more,” Geoff speculated with a naughty grin. “Get a free show.”

 

The bigger man whined and shyly his his face, hips moving against the other without his permission. They hadn't caught their boys' attention yet but with the way Geoff was rubbing him he wouldn't be able to keep his sounds down. “Geoff, boys...can see.”

 

“Yes they can.” Geoff played with his friend's cock just a bit longer before he mercifully released him and patted the meaty hip. “You fuck your Ray real good for me later.”

 

Anyone else and Ryan would have choked the life out of him. But he knew Geoff and his humor, knew that it was only appreciation. Ryan huffed out a laugh. “Geoff.”

 

“I'm going to go find my other little one. He's been gone too long. Take care of our boys?”

 

“Always.”

 

~*~

 

“Try not to move.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“It's okay. I know it's kinda' weird.”

 

Michael had promised his new friend from the beginning that he wouldn't put anything on his face without telling him explicitly what it was. Ray was a stranger to make up but he trusted the other to know what he was doing.

 

Michael swirled a round brush in a packed, dark powder. “It's like blush, but it's to make you look more...warm, I guess? And there's gold dust in it. Just hold still.” He buffed the brush along Ray's forehead, the curve of his cheek under his closed eye, and then down along his jaw in a smooth three-shaped pattern. “When you turn your head, you can smell the chocolate in it.” He finished the other side before tucking a finger under his chin and urging him to turn his head side-to-side. “See?”

 

Ray inhaled the hint of rich scent with a hum. His mouth watered. “It does.”

 

“And _this_ ,” Michael switched for a different compact and took off the plastic covering to show off more pressed powder. “It's apricot.” He swirled a different, fluffier brush in the color. “It's different from the fruit, I know. They're a lot darker but you need something more subtle, something to highlight the natural tan of your skin.”

 

He pulled out a smaller pallet to show off a different kind of dark pressed powder. There were gold flecks in it. A small vial of clear lip gloss was pulled out as well. Michael dabbed a heavy dollop on the back of his hand before he rubbed his finger in the golden brown powder, collecting a good bit before he swirled his fingertip in the mess of gloss. As the color blended, the boy sang a song Ray had never heard almost under his breath. “ _Donner son coeur, avec un boquet d'fleurs, oo-la la la...c'est magnifique._ ”

 

Michael held up his coated finger. “See how it shimmers? Coffee eye shadow. I found this scented stuff in one of the fancier apartments in our building. A luxury that must have been expensive. All this pretty brown and gold?” That husky whisper came back and Ray shivered. “They'll make your lips look like the lushest fruit.”

 

Michael leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. They both sighed into it, tongues itching to play, but they broke away so Michael could properly apply the gloss. Ray's eyes fell closed as he puckered his lips obediently and basked in the gentle treatment.

 

“Open your eyes.” Michael took out a pod-looking device and twisted it off, revealing a sticky looking brush. Being careful with the boy's shaky lids, he applied small sweeps of mascara to the already dark lashes. He breathy singing resumed so softly that that words barely formed. “ _Revoir Paris, retrouver ses amis. C'est magnifique._ And there you go!”

 

Michael shuffled through his purse before he brought out a compact mirror, holding it up to reveal his work. Ray was simply stunned at what he saw. He looked...well, he looked _good_ . It was subtle, but soft. There was a glow to him now that somehow worked with the radiation of his eyes and the awkward shape of his face. Michael had been so right about his lips. They looked _inviting_.

 

Ray gaped long after the mirror was turned away from him. “Thank you, Michael. I-I don't know what to say.”

 

“No problem,” Michael assured him as he plucked out his lipstick and uncapped it. “I can teach you how to do it. But I almost don't want to because it's fun painting you, Ray. I would love to have you over and really play dress up.”

 

As Michael touched up his lipstick and swiped the fallout from his hint of eyeliner and mascara from under his eyes. He looked like a true starlet and Ray thought about the flicks he could have been in, the magazines he could have been modeling in. Spread out on a cover somewhere in a fluttering skirt with smoky eyes.

 

“Michael? Do you ever think about the surface world?”

 

“No, never,” Michael replied flippantly.

 

“You never thought about going up there?” Ray needled, hoping not to offend the other boy. “Even for just a little while?”

 

“There's no ADAM up there, silly, what business would I have?” He shot him a wink. “Besides, the [bathyspheres](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Bathysphere) can only be operated by Mr. Andrew Ryan himself. No one gets in or out.”

 

Ray fiddled with the edge of his skirt, white knee socks showing as the hem bunched up in his fists. “But if you could...would you?"

 

“No.” Michael frowned, compact pad touching up the shiny spots on his forehead and face.

 

“What if you could be in movies?” Ray offered quickly.

 

“I don't need that!” Michael closed the compact with a snap as sharp as his voice. “What's with all these questions? This is strange talk.”

 

Ray chewed his lip so hard it stung but all the things he'd seen at that strange place came flooding back and he felt ready to burst with doubt. “I saw a ride in Ryan Amusements. It's some kind of fun park, I guess? It was where I ended up trying to get here. I dropped straight into a line of displays that told all about the surface world and how terrible it was. But it didn't sound right.” He looked down at his hands. “If the surface world is so bad, why did they have to try so hard to explain why?”

 

“People need to be informed,” Michael replied primly.

 

“The place was for children, Michael,” Ray whined in distress. “Just...tiny _babies_ who didn't get the chance to grow up into their own person!”

 

Michael could still vividly remember the papers and the death tolls from the riots years ago. His own life may have been soaked in muddy water but those particular images would forever be burned into his mind. “You can thank 'Atlas' for that with his tasteless civilian attacks.”

 

“And if they didn't?” Ray questioned fiercely, head shooting up so he could look at the other boy. “If they lived and got big, do you think Andrew Ryan would have let them leave? You said so yourself! No way in, no way out. They were boxed into this bubble city.” He rubbed at his suddenly aching head and tried not to let himself fall under the safer thoughts of ADAM and his Big Daddy. “I-I think they were abducting people from the surface world and forcing them down here. What if my parents got here like that? What if they were swept out of their surface lives and smuggled down here as indentured servants, or worse??”

 

Michael shook his head. “That's nonsense!”

 

“Look at the color of my skin!” Ray demanded, holding out his forearm to show off the flesh that was a few shades darker than Michael's China doll complexion. “You think I don't know what I would be if I wasn't made like this? If this city were up and running, I would be stuffed into a warehouse away from 'civilized' people. My parents probably weren't treated any better! Wh-What if...?”

 

He dissolved into a wet sob and turned his face away, heart twisting as he truly thought of his parents for the first time in so long. He didn't truly know how they lived, if they wanted him, or even if he was dragged out of his mother's hands. But if people were being stolen from the surface for Rapture, then what made the theory so far-fetched?

 

“Stop it, Ray! Stop saying those things!” Michael demanded petulantly. “Everyone who made the pilgrimage here came on bended knee in gratitude for the opportunity!” He rubbed his forehead just as Ray had done, the same ache throbbing in the base of his skull.

 

“The people here in Rapture, they were slaves,” Ray stated boldly. The glow in his eyes faded, amber showing through so truly. “Slaves to Ryan, somehow. And then maybe to ADAM.”

 

Michael stood up with ruddy cheeks and clenched fists. He walked away toward the window and his arms wrapped around himself as the chill hit him. He looked out at the ocean and the words flowed. “No one was forced to come here. This was a heaven among a mad, nuclear-threatened world and it saved us. Who knows what kind of wasteland is up there now? In the heart of this ocean, we're safe. All good things...flow into this city. This heavenly city where the artist does not fear the censor.” He faltered, brows furrowing up. “W-With the sweat of your brow...those we are different, suppressed by laws...”

 

Ray's jaw clenched. “You sound like them.”

 

Michael frowned deeply and his eyes flickered out. Large, doe eyes stared out at the ocean and the icy fingers of fear crept around his heart. _Am I trapped here?_

 

The glow returned as he heard a familiar noise. It was Geoff coming through the door, whooping in victory and hefting a smiling Little Brother on his back. Ray and Michael's eyes were both bright again and they were wearing twin, excited smiles.

 

All thoughts of Rapture's dark underbelly were gone, washed out the moment their focus shifted.

 

~*~

 

On a plane over the North Atlantic, a dark haired ex-soldier stared out the window at the roll of clouds. He sighed heavily and tilted his head back against the seat, fingers drumming on his bulging side bag. He wanted a smoke but the plane's ceiling was already fluffy with it's own clouds and he didn't want to add to it. A poor woman in the front was already coughing and he had half a mind to go around and put out all the sticks in every assholes fingers.

 

He pulled the telegraph out of his suit jacket for the dozenth time. He flicked the edges and smoothed the wrinkles. He read it again, just to make sure.

 

**Mr. Daniel Gruchy  
Your cousin is gravely ill and seeing as you are his next of kin, I must ask  
you to come at once to the states. Your choice will be needed. There is a  
present from him in the following PO box. The address and directions are inside.  
**

 

It was from someone named Dr. Tenenbaum. He'd been so confused and his parents hadn't been able to tell him anything besides that his father had a few estranged siblings in the states. He'd been hesitant, even a little bit scared to go through with it, but he couldn't let a relative die alone. It was a cruel fate to be without family as the sun set on your life. He'd gone to the PO box (which had been opened) and there was indeed a package there with an envelope on top. The letter looked old, at least a couple years. His cousin must have sent it a long time ago, maybe as an attempt to reach out to him? What if he had a chronic illness and had seen this coming?

 

Oh! The letter!

 

Dan slipped away the telegraph and dug around in his other pockets until he found the other envelope. He dug his finger into the edge and tore off the top. The stationary was nice and he unfolded the creamy paper to find rather feminine handwriting. He started to read and with each word his mind fizzled out, thoughts blurring together before they disappeared all together.

 

“Ma'am?” he monotoned as a stewardess passed. She took one look at his handsome face and simpered. “This is a strange question, but what are our coordinates? Where are we over the ocean?”

 

“Not a strange question at all, sir!” she bubbled, red lips still pulled in a bright smile. “Why, I just asked the captain that myself. I'm an anxious flyer, you see, and I like to know at all times how far we are from land. Gosh, we're not too far off Iceland, really. I believe he said it was something like sixty degrees North and 20-something degrees west? I could double check, of course.”

 

“No, ma'am, that's just fine.”

 

She did a little curtsy and went off to grab the drink cart to make the rounds. Dan stood up and pulled the package out of his bag, ripping at the brown paper with careless fingers until he could crack open the tape that held it all together. He moved down the aisle with an ease he didn't usually posess.

 

“Sir? Sir, you can't enter First Class. If you're looking for a bathroom it's at the other end of the plane. Sir, what's in the package?”

 

The box fell carelessly to the floor. There were a dozen screams.

 

“Sir, please, put the gun down! For the love of God, _put it down_!”

 

The letter from the expensive stationary had fallen to the floor in his haste. A brief message was scrawled across it.

 

_God forgive me for I do not expect you to._   
_Would you kindly open this package at 63° 2' N, 29° 55' W,_   
_take this gun and crash the plane into the ocean?_

 

* * *

 

**Your responses and love mean so much to me, you have no idea! Quick thank you to[echoandbandit ](http://echoandbandit.tumblr.com/)for the amazing Michael art. Any feedback is amazingly appreciated and encourages me to write faster!**   
  
**On that note though - if you want to know the status of any of my fics or want to ask me questions, please feel free to hit me up on[Tumblr](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/)! Do  _not_ put it in the comments section of any of my other fics. I only say this become it seems to be a trend with non-RT fics and I get really disheartened to see that I got a comment only for it to be about a fic I'm not currently working on. I'm not going to delete them or anything like that, everyone has the right to post whatever they want wherever they want (within reason) but I'm not going to respond to you because I think it's rude. And I will say this right now, I never orphan fics. If you want to continue the idea yourself, you're more than welcome to as long as you give credit :)**

 


	8. Files and Fast Friendships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff does some digging and relationships are formed. What the hell is "Project Wild Card"? And what does it have to do with his boys?

**If you're wondering who[Tenenbaum ](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Brigid_Tenenbaum)and [Suchong ](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Yi_Suchong)are still, I wouldn't read past the spoilers if you plan on playing the games and want to enjoy them. That being said, I will have spoilers from Bioshock 1 & 2 through this fic.**

 

* * *

 

 

Gavin bounced off Geoff's back and awed at the sight of the new Little Brother that was standing beside a Daddy he had seen before. The boy was looking back at him with the same dumbfounded expression.

 

“You...”

 

“You?”

 

Michael stepped to the side between them and frowned. “Do you two know each other?”

 

“I saw him once,” Gavin admitted, shyly looking up at the blonde Big Daddy. “You must have been his protector. I-I'm sorry I ran away from you. I was scared.”

 

The bigger man shook his head with a small smile. The lack of words made him nervous and he fiddled with his extractor, waiting for someone to say something. Geoff was the first to clear his throat.

 

“This is Ryan,” he introduced with a little wave of his hand. “And his Little Brother, Ray. Guys, this is my new boy, Gavin. I guess you guys ran into each other?”

 

“I didn't mean to scream at you,” Ray apologized. “I was startled and you looked kind of rabid. Ryan just wanted to take care of you. I-I guess we were all wrong. But you look much better now!” There was new color to his cheeks as he looked the other boy over.

 

“Geoff's spoiled me rotten,” Gavin laughed, “Michael too, of course.”

 

Michael and Geoff shared a smirk as Ray leaned up to his Big Daddy and pulled him down to whisper in his ear. Gavin was a little confused as he saw the way Ryan got all big-eyed. The two other boys giggled behind their hands, Geoff smothering his smirk. “What is it?”

 

“I like your bloomers,” Ray teased light-heartedly.

 

“My...?” Gavin blushed and looked down at his tiny, fancy shorts. He thought they were fine without his usual skirt and his Daddy had approved of his outfit before they'd left (maybe even just a bit too much). “These are shorts.”

 

“Gavvy,” Michael purred, “They're underwear.”

 

“What?” Gavin squawked. “B-But you let me out like this! I thought they were shorts.”

 

Curls bounced as the other boy shook his head.

 

Gavin quickly covered his crotch with his hands and he burned from the base of his throat to the tips of his ears, eyes on the floor as humiliation rushed through him. This was the first time he properly met the couple and he'd made a fool of himself prancing around in just a pair of undies. To be in front of his Daddy or other Little Brothers in next to nothing was one thing, but to be in front of a powerful man like Ryan...it was so horribly embarrassing.

 

“F-Forgive me,” Gavin stuttered out.

 

Ryan grunted until he got Geoff's attention and his hands moved quickly in a set of gestures the boys didn't understand. His fingers flicked towards Gavin with a nod. The older man nodded and conveyed the message. “Ryan says he doesn't care. He thinks you look pretty, just like we did this morning. So no worries.”

 

“Um, thank you,” Gavin replied with a glance at the silent man. “He said all that?”

 

“Yeah, he said all that?” Ray echoed, frowning at his guardian. “Ryan? Did you just talk to Geoff?”

 

Ryan nodded.

 

“How?”

 

“I don't have that bond you have with him,” Geoff pointed out. “We've known each other a long time and we've had to work out our own way to communicate. It's sort of sign language. I guess he doesn't need it much with you, huh?”

 

“Huh,” Ray sounded, “I've never seen that before.”

 

Geoff saw Ryan's expression and grinned, holding up his hand and making a sign. “Ever seen this?”

 

Ray wanted to say no but as he looked at the gesture, two fingers tucked down with the other two and thumb stuck out, he realized there was something familiar about it. Maybe he e hadn't seen it but maybe...? Ryan's hand slid over his back and mimicked the gesture against him. Yes, he'd felt this before. Laying in bed, half asleep, Ryan would trace letters into his skin and then he'd feel this. A press of knuckles, the lines of spread fingers. When he looked up at his Daddy he seemed rather sheepish, caught in some sort of guilty act.

 

“Rye.” Ray grabbed some blonde locks and made him lean down until he could press a chaste kiss on his lips. “What does it mean? What have you been sinking into my skin?”

 

“I...I love you,” Ryan croaked.

 

Ray's heart lurched and he stole a deeper kiss, demanding to taste the man's loving mouth. Ryan hummed against his lips and hugged him close, licking at him so delicately as if he didn't want to break the moment. Michael and Gavin awed together at the pretty sight and their Daddy just shook his head and muttered, “You crazy kids.”

 

“A real couple of lovebirds,” Gavin tittered.

 

Geoff gave a real belly laugh as Ray started pressing himself up against his Daddy rather suggestively. “Break it up you two before I get the hose. We've got a mission today.”

 

“A mission, Daddy?” Michael inquired. “How exciting!”

 

Ray's light moan echoed through the room as his ass was grabbed through his skirt.

 

“If you two can stop _sucking face_ for five minutes!”

 

~*~

 

With Ryan being bigger than Geoff, it seemed only polite to offer Gavin his back to ride on before they left. Ray was tucked in the crook of his Daddy's arms and happily encouraged the thin little boy to get on. Michael fit well on Geoff and then the party left, going fast and easily destroying any Splicer they came across. Fire rained hot from Ryan's fingertips and lightning from Geoff's, frying bodies with barely any effort and keeping their boys safe. They went far from home, taking the tram all the way until none of the boys knew exactly where they were.

 

But Geoff knew quite well. He led them all the way to the top floor of the building that held the lab that had had cooked up the Beta Series. It was buried deep in the city so many levels down but he didn't want the lads anywhere near it. So he found a dome-ceilinged room and they climbed the walls until the long, flat rafters that held the lights could be reached. It was solid and would hold great weight, and very much high off the ground. There were a few crates up there but not much else.

 

“Here?” Michael pouted as he was sat down on one of the boxes. Geoff tapped his nose and he snuffled. “This is the adventure?”

 

“I have to go look at some pretty important things,” Geoff explained. “Ryan's going to keep a constant patrol while I figure out some stuff. That means you're in charge of the other boys. Think you can handle that?”

 

The boy's lips puckered. “So I'm in charge?”

 

Geoff grinned. “You sure are, baby doll.”

 

He dropped a hand into Michael's lap and his fingers eased through the part in his skirt, nails just barely grazing the vixen-esque stockings he'd helped roll onto his boy's legs this morning. Michael fluttered his lashes almost on cue and his heart skipped a beat. “Okay, Daddy. I'll wait here for you.”

 

“My obedient little girl,” Geoff murmured in his ear before giving him a wet kiss that smeared his newly applied lipstick. There were spots of pink left on his Daddy's mouth when he pulled away and the sight made him laugh, previous nerves melting away. “Watch over the brats. Daddy will be right back.”

 

Ryan explained the same thing to Ray but did so by sitting him down on his feet and kissing him firmly with a press to his shoulder. It was their signal to stay and he reluctantly obeyed. “You'll clear all the bad guys and then come right back, Daddy?”

 

Ryan nodded and took another kiss, a small mercy to get him through the next hour or so.

 

~*~

 

It took some hefty climbing and a couple of shoulder rams to get debris out of the way, but Geoff managed to swing down to the lower levels. The lab that had housed the entirety of the Beta Series wasn't exactly hard to break into but there were several large pieces of wall to move around. He'd tried to close it off when he left the last time and it seemed he'd done a good job. There were no signs of Splicer activity. The actual door had long been welded shut by paranoid scientists before they'd awoken. Maybe the humans had thought they'd turn against them, join the rebels.

 

Geoff started rifling through the cabinets. Last time he'd done this it was to calm an angry, frightened Ryan and he'd put them back to where they came from after they were finished. He passed them as he flipped through subject files. He counted them off – a dozen, ten of which he hadn't seen hide or hair of since they all busted out of here. He'd stayed behind as the others geared up and rushed off because there had been a malfunctioning pod with a body inside that he couldn't stand to leave alone. Prying that lid off and easing the tube out of Ryan's sputtering mouth had been one of the best things he'd ever done. The poor guy had been wheezing and growling breathlessly as he tried to yank his strapped arms free, muscles fluttering wildly as he writhed for freedom. Geoff hadn't been able to talk him down so he'd gone with is gut and pressed a kiss onto that pink mouth. Ryan had gone still in shock and had tasted like bitter preservative goop but the touch had calmed him, if only long enough for Geoff to explain himself properly.

 

_Burns, Gilby, Gibson...wait._

 

There was a thirteenth folder he didn't recognize. [_Jack Wynand_](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Jack). There had only been twelve Big Daddy's in this room. Who was this man? The first name was written in black ink in a masculine handwriting but the last name was written in red by another person all together, almost as an afterthought. The folder looked out of place, off-color and worn, like it had come from somewhere else. He took it out and looked it over, popping it open. Some pieces looked to be missing. There was a profile picture of a handsome man with dark hair and eyes along with a form of vitals from birth.

 

 **Birth Father:** [ _Andrew Ryan_ ](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Andrew_Ryan) **  
Birth Mother:** _[Jasmine Jolene](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Jasmine_Jolene)  
_ **Sibling:** _Unnamed male twin, deceased  
_ **Status:** _Confidential_

 

“Andrew Ryan had a kid?” Geoff marveled out loud, brow knit in confusion. He hadn't followed a lot of gossip about the city's founder. He knew he had a showgirl for a mistress, but a kid?

 

There wasn't much else. Notes that hinted at genetic engineering, names of tests that had been run, and a few scribbles about how dangerous he was and how he was a last resort. Were they training him to be a weapon against his father? Did Ryan know about it? There was a second folder behind Jack's with delicate handwriting. _Project Wild Card._ It sounded ridiculous but it was empty. He replaced it all and started going through the boxes beside the cabinet. He dug around the lab, pushing aside certain things for later like schematics and procedure booklets. He finally came upon a box of audio logs and sifted through them, plastic tapes clicking together as he thumbed across them.

 

Then he found it: _Wild Card – Final Audio_

 

The only audio log. It looked slightly damaged but usable. He found a player and slipped the tape in, clicking it on. The sound that came out of it was garbled but audible. He put the gadget close to his ear and listened to a woman introduce herself. It was Tenenbaum. The woman who'd made the Little Brothers, the woman who'd helped found ADAM. She sounded drunk and upset.

 

' _Andrew Ryan. Fontaine. How dare they? How dare they want to harm my Little Boys like this? They've turned my boys into pliant ADAM machines. I heard about the Doll Initiative. Oh yes, I heard. Those bastards brainwashing my darlings. Fontaine thinks he's so smart...an Ace in the Hole. Pfft. Well, a woman must have her tricks, her own wild card among such cheat players. I managed to get my hands on my own Ace before he ever laid eyes on the twins. Suchong and I had many disagreements...but on this secret, we agreed. He would never say it, but we had similar doubts about the treatment of my Little Boys and how they would be taken care of in the long run. He does not want to see the work die. I do not want to see them die._ '

 

There was a buzz in the tape and Geoff knocked his knuckles off the plastic to try and set it right.

 

' _They will be similar in more than genetics. The same power, the same trigger...but different purposes._ '

 

Another fizzle and he resisted the urge to smack it off the floor. He shook the log and tapped his palm off it. When Tenenbaum's voice came back, it started as a whisper before it grew strong.

 

'- _must return. There will be survivors after I'm gone. I cannot bear to leave a single little one behind. There must be cavalry. Someone must come back. They don't deserve to be forgotten about. God, don't punish them for our mistakes. My little boys_.'

 

A sob echoed through the room from the tape before it shut off. He wasn't sure if it ended or broke but when there was no more sound he flipped it off. He took the tape and slipped it into his pocket. Confusion clouded his mind. This info didn't bode well. He needed to find Andrew Ryan's office and look for any mention of this “Jack” or this unnamed twin, maybe something about “Project Wild Card”.

  
Geoff wanted to know the connection between these two men and the Little Brothers and he wasn't going to stop until he knew the truth.

 

~*~

 

“So they're just going to bloody leave us here?” Gavin seethed, but it was half-hearted as he hesitantly looked down over the edge of the platform. They were high, their scent and presence would go unnoticed from all the way up here.

 

“They'll come back,” Ray promised.

 

“We could have gone too,” the boy pouted. “I wanted to see what we got lugged halfway across the city for.”

 

Ray gestured vaguely. “I bet it's boring.”

 

“I still want to see,” Gavin grumbled, arms crossed over his chest as he felt the first heart pangs from being left behind. “We're just supposed to sit here on our butts and wait around like damsels in a tower?”

 

 _Flick_. “You're already dressed for it.”

 

The metallic sound caught the other boys' attention. Michael was lounging quite casually – one leg dangling, the other foot braced on the crate to spread his legs almost obscenely. His sarong fell open in a way that revealed the silk shine of his panties and the lacy edges of his dark stockings. The line his garters cut up his plump thigh was mouth-wateringly tempting. He had a long filter between his fingers and at the end was a lit, brown cigarette giving off fine curls of smoke. A billow came from his painted lips and he looked positively  _bored_.

 

“We wait,” Michael replied simply. Gavin had never seen his friend smoke and it was quite a shock. Somehow it made him look _more_ elegant. Ray marveled at how good the boy looked, mouth hanging open before he remembered it was rude and snapped it shut. He tore his eyes away to look at Gavin. The other was quickly becoming restless, feet shifting and teeth chewing on his lower lip to keep little sounds inside. Though Ray was afraid to walk too fast on the platform, he hurried over to his new friend and wrapped him in a hug. Gavin whined as he got a little kiss on the cheek and fingers stroked through his hair but it didn't quite settle his little frazzle of rejection.

 

Michael could only take so much of his friend's fidgeting before he whistled softly. “Gavvy. Come here.”

 

Gavin slipped out of Ray's arms with an apology before he went over and dropped to his knees in front of Michael. He rested his smooth cheek against the stocking-clad thigh and nuzzled into it, almost nosing at the soft mound of the boy's more intimate flesh. The smoke that had started to waft around him smelled like musky cherries and he adored it instantly. Michael's fingers now replaced Ray's and stroked through the fine hair.

 

“What's wrong?” Michael crooned in concern. “You're shaking.”

 

“I...I just don't like being left,” Gavin muttered into the silk.

 

“Now, who said anything about leaving you?” Michael tried to lighten up the mood with a smile but he saw the heartbroken expression on his friend's face and stopped. He swept back Gavin's golden hair and caught the watery, hazel gaze. “Geoff promised he'd be right back.”

 

Gavin smothered a sob into his thigh and it made the other two boys drown. Ray came over and dropped down beside him, taking his hand and running his thumb over the back of it.

 

“Gavin? Did something happen?” Ray inquired softly, not wanting to upset him anymore than he already was. Gavin closed his eyes and a single tear trickle past his lashes. “Tell us, please. Don't cry.”

 

“I had a Daddy once,” Gavin began quietly. “Mr. Z. He was great to me. One of the dive suit Daddies, you know? All big and clunky, and he gave the best hugs. He died protecting me when the city went to hell.”

 

Ray whimpered and tucked his cheek against the boy's shoulder

 

“And then I found another one who looked just like him,” Gavin smiled faintly. “I called him Mr. Z too, and he didn't mind. We were okay for a while. He hugged me and kept me close all the time. I loved him so much. One day we found a Little Brother by himself and he couldn't hold both of us. But the other one was hurt.”

 

“ _We can't leave him alone, Daddy! He's crying.”_

 

“I begged Mr. Z to help him. But then he eased me off his back and put me down. He was so gentle...just as gentle as he was picking the other Little Brother up.”

 

“ _Wait, Daddy. What are you doing?”_

 

Gavin hiccuped and hid his tears in Michael's leg. “I stared to cry and he patted my head. He couldn't talk like Geoff but somehow he said...he'd be back. He wiped my cheeks and gave me a hug.”

 

“ _You w-won't leave me here, right Daddy? You'll come back? I can wait for you, I promise.”_

 

Gavin shuddered at the memory. “I stood there and waited for so long my knees gave out. The Splicers came and I had to run. He was supposed take the Boy to safety and come back for me but...but he didn't. I know we hadn't imprinted properly but he never came. It's like he forgot about me.” His voice audibly cracked.

 

Michael's heart shattered and he slipped to the floor, cigarette holder and all falling to the metal floor. He wrapped his arms around Gavin's front, Ray taking the back to enclose them in their warmth and affection. “My little love.”

 

“I-I'm sorry, it just hurts and-”

 

Ray hushed him and tilted his head back to press a silencing kiss to his lips. Michael smiled as Gavin squeaked before sinking into the contact, sighing and closing his eyes to enjoy it. They squeezed in tighter and whispered promises to never leave the boy, no matter what.

 

They were a family now. All they had was each other.

 

~*~

 

Michael had long put away his cigarettes and was perched on top of his crate again fixing his stockings when Ryan and Geoff got back. The boy squealed and jumped down, pumps clacking on the metal as he raced over to where his Daddy stood. He was met with eager hands and was lifted up and spun, Geoff's smile just as bright as his eyes.

  
“Daddy,” he greeted sweetly, dipping down to rub their noises. Their lips slotted together and he sighed, stocking-clad legs sliding smoothly around the man's waist so he could get leverage. His Daddy lapped at his lips and frowned, pulling away with that disappointed look.

  
Michael blinked at him rather innocently. “They don't even hurt me.”

 

“I don't like tasting that cherry tar on my sweet girl's tongue.” Geoff's voice was low, meant only for his ears, and he felt goosebumps crop up over his shoulders. “And don't think I don't know about you trying to love-up on Ryan. Vixen.”

 

Michael grinned. “Daddy.”

 

Ryan's small, confused noise drew their attention. Gavin and Ray were sitting together against one of the crates, legs and arms entwined while their heads bumped together. Golden strands kissed raven locks. Ray's eyes opened first and he perked up when he saw his Daddy. Gavin whined in protest as the other boy dragged him to his feet and was reluctant to let go of his hand when he tried to go greet his Daddy as well.

 

Geoff smiled as he saw the loving look the two shared. _Fast friends. Huh, who would've guessed?_

 

“You two should move to Olympus Heights, maybe even in the building,” Geoff threw out. “Keep the family close, I mean.”

 

The boys suddenly looked much more excited at the word 'family'. Even Ryan beamed.

 

“I don't know.” Ray put up the token protest. “We've been in the Market so long.”

 

“I will personally find you the best, most safe room,” Michael swore with a grad sweeping gesture. “It's super protected here.”

 

“ _But_ ,” Geoff interjected. “We're not going to make you move.”

 

Ray wrapped his arms around one of his Daddy's own and shared a look that said much more than words. The boy only spoke up again after the man nodded. “We'll think about.”

 

Geoff scratched through his beard. “Actually, if you're getting lonely out there, you could take Gavin home for a few days?”

 

“What?” Michael snapped sharply. “Gavin's not going anywhere. He belongs at home with _us_ , not out in some dirty, run down pit.”

 

“Michael-”

 

“No way!” He looked seconds away from stomping his heel. “You want to put him in danger? Baddies are so much closer there. Smelling two boys might drive them crazy! Anything could happen to either of them. I won't let you take Gavin!”

 

Geoff's nostrils flared. “Now, Michael-”

 

“ _I won't let you_!”

 

Geoff wanted to smack the boy in his smart mouth but instead he bit the end of his glove to rip it off. He grabbed Michael by the arm, turned him around, and landed his bare hand on the curve of his boy's ass. Michael yelped and colored in humiliation, pouting as he slumped against his Daddy. Geoff kept his hand raised, ready to smack again, but the boy stayed quiet.

 

“Are you going to keep throwing a pissy little fit?” the man growled.

 

“No, Daddy,” Michael sniffed lightly, keeping himself pressed close to Geoff. His Daddy pet a hand down his back and kissed the top of his head. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted.”

 

“No, you shouldn't have,” Geoff scolded lightly, patting the boy's stinging bottom.

 

“I'm just worried,” he confessed quietly. He could feel the other's eyes on him.

 

“Baby doll,” Geoff drawled. “You can't keep him from making friends. And Ryan would take great care of him.”

 

Michael huffed and turned to tell Ray to call it off but there was a hopeful look in his friend's golden, glowing eyes. He couldn't be mad. He'd been lonely for his own kind before Gavin came along. Having their Daddies was ecstasy, but to have another Little Brother by their side...it was the perfect companionship. Ray deserved to have someone with him in that little hovel in the Farmer's Market.

 

And how could he resist such a cute face?

 

Michael let go of his Daddy and walked over to his new friend, putting on a smile. He tucked a finger under Ray's chin and pecked a kiss on his lips. “Take good care of my Gavin, okay?”

 

Michael shot a wink at Ryan and patted the man's barrel chest. “You too, big boy. Don't stretch him out _too_ much.”

 

The flustered sputter that came out of Ryan made the boy giggle.

 

~*~

 

Geoff couldn't take his eyes off his boy's ass so perfectly framed by the long ribbons of his his collar. It was one of his favorite's and his boy knew how riled up he got from the kitten-in-a-basket look. He was almost glad to have Gavin spending a quiet night with Ryan's tiny boy because he was going to make Michael _scream_. They weren't even all the way into the bedroom before Geoff grabbed a handful of fluffy curls and forced the boy to look up at him.

 

“You were bad, baby girl,” Geoff hissed, cock stirring at the sight of those big eyes staring up at him with aroused awe. “You were being a little tart with Ryan. Smoking, too. And then you ran your mouth off? How does that make Daddy look?”

  
“Oh Daddy, I'm so _sorry_ ,” Michael keened as he was dragged over to the bed and tossed onto it, palms skidding in the sheets.

 

“Strip.”

 

Heat shot down between his thighs and he nodded obediently, ready to accept whatever delicious punishment Geoff was ready to dish out. This possessive game was something they liked to play. He knew his Big Daddy wasn't actually angry about him kissing their new friends. This was just for fun. He looked up through his lashes at the man as he untied the knot of his skirt and pulled it apart to show off his lingerie. They were some of his best and the way Geoff wet his lips revealed that he liked what he saw. His sweater slipped off and the graze of soft cotton along his arm made him shiver. He slowly unclipped his garters and wiggled out of the belt and panties.

 

“Pretty doll,” Geoff breathed.

 

Michael had only just touched his satin collar when he was grabbed by the arm and flipped onto his stomach, stocking-clad legs casually kicked apart to expose his most vulnerable parts. A hand stroked over the long satin ribbons and moved them to properly frame his body like a present. In that moment he truly felt like one – a gift for his Daddy to use as he saw fit. He rutted into the bed but only once because the sound smack he got on his cheek commanded him to stay still

 

“I'm sorry,” Michael gushed, face grazing his luxurious sheets as he tried not to tilt his hips up like a proper offering. He got another smack and it jolted him further up the mattress. “T-Thank you, Daddy.”

 

“I know you can't control yourself, baby.” There was a small clicking noise before he caught the minty smell of one of their new bottles of lube. They'd found a whole stash the other day and Geoff had been eager to use them. “That's why I'm here.”

 

A large hand braced itself on the bed beside Michael's face as he felt his guardian hover over him, body heat rolling off him in waves as he shielded him from the world. The comfort made the boy moan and he eagerly spread his legs for the searching fingers that grazed across the tight furl of his hole. Geoff's breath puffed into his hair as the first finger slid inside. It was a slow process, it always was. Michael needed a lot of prep before he was open up to painlessly take his Daddy's cock. Geoff was always so tender with him and he loved it. Here in their bed he was a princess, a treasure...and Geoff took such good care of his things.

 

“You looked so happy supping from Ray's cute mouth,” the man mused above him, fingers crooking in a casual rhythm to make the boy gasp and slowly rock his hips to match it. “I'll confess, Michael, I had to taste him too. Tiny morsel like him – it was too much to resist.”

 

There was no jealousy in Michael's heart, only heat in his stomach. He smirked into the sheets as he bared his nape to show off the bow that marked him as owned. Geoff's rough, content purr had him fluttering around the man's thick fingers. “Did you taste his tiny cock, Geoff? I bet it's barely a mouthful. Did he moan for you like the sweet boy I know he is?”

 

“Tramp,” Geoff hissed as he rubbed over the puffy gland inside his boy to make him squeal. “It was just some kissing. I mapped out his trim little body, though. I think you'd like him. He's need to be fed more, just like our Gavin.”

 

Michael's breath punched out at the image. “I'll feed that cute little lad my cock.”

 

The husky tone, the words...they struck Geoff hard. He pulled his wet fingers out before slicking up his cock, pants and underwear clinging to his thighs just so he could expose himself enough for this. Showing his strength, Geoff picked up the boy's hips and fucked into him with one, graceful movement. Michael choked loudly at the sudden sensation of being filled, feet arching up and hands fisting in the sheets to try and keep himself braced. But his Daddy wasn't allowing such a mercy. The height Geoff had on him truly showed itself as his ass pressed to the man's groin and his cock slipped right in. The angle wasn't the best but the power of keeping Michael suspended, the complete domination of his pleasure, was more than enough of a thrill. The boy gagged on his protests as he was lifted up that much more, toes grazing off the carpet.

 

“I-I'm sorry, Daddy, I shouldn't have talked about Ray like that!” Michael begged in a high, breathy voice as he burned from the man's flesh forcing him open and from the vulnerable position he'd been forced into. “I'll be good! You know I can! I-I'm not touching the floor. _Please_ , Daddy, don't drop me.”

 

Geoff tightened his grip on the boy's creamy hips. “Now, Michael, when have I ever dropped you?”

 

Michael's face warmed and he relaxed, elbows dug into the mattress and love-struck smile hidden as he ducked his head. “Never.”

 

“So what makes you think I'm going to start now?”

 

~*~

 

Gavin and Ray chattered endlessly as Ryan hefted them back to the room in the Market. The boys seemed to get along swimmingly after such a rough start and it did the Big Daddy's heart good to see his charge blossoming. Maybe it was meeting another Little Brother he admired, or the make up, or just Gavin's presence – but Ray was quite the social butterfly at the moment. They got to know each other on the long trip back and by the time they entered the room they had slipped into a sort of courtship dance, voices lowered and eyes half-lidded. Ray showed Gavin their books, his photographs, and in return the other boy sketched out a few things for him. Gavin offered to teach him how to defend himself and Ray promised to show him how to make stitchpunk dolls like the one of Ryan he had.

 

“It looks just like him!” Gavin declared as he hugged the rough doll. “Next time I'll bring Egg and they can sleep together. Oh, not like _that_. Stop laughing at me!”

 

After a while the boys tuckered themselves out and cuddled together rather closely on the bed. Gavin rested half on top of the other boy and had his cheek tucked into his shoulder, hand splayed on his chest. They continued to talk softly but eventually their words trickled out into chaste kisses and little nuzzles that made them both smile.

 

“I want to know all about Michael,” Ray confessed.

 

“Are you in love with my boy?” Gavin chuckled, their foreheads bumping as he tried not to steal another kiss. Ray tried to protest but all his reasons sounded fake. “I don't blame you. He's one in a million. I've never met someone with so much _stuff_ inside them. He's practically bursting at the seams.”

 

“He's so beautiful.” There was a mournful note there.

 

“And you're not?” Gavin needled before he pecked a kiss on the boy's mouth. “Michael would love to play with you. I...I know _I_ do.”

 

Gavin blushed at the admittance and quickly looked to Ryan to make sure he hadn't stepped over the line. The Big Daddy was sitting on the floor against the wall with a book cradled between his wide, bare hands. He chuckled as he flipped a page and saw how hesitant the other two were.

 

“Tiny little boys,” Ryan teased before he returned to the story.

 

Ray smiled before he nudged his nose against the boy's cheek. “I'll take that as a yes.”

 

 

 

 


	9. There Are Angels To Save

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I helped to build them a sugar-coated world. You must shatter it. Being disillusioned is the hardest pill to swallow but it is a necessary evil. Protect yourself, Daniel, and protect them. If you fail, we all fail."

Dan broke the surface of the water with a wet sputter. He coughed the sea water out of lungs as fire filled his vision. He could barely feel his limbs moving as he swam forward, arms driving him somewhere even he wasn't sure of. Every muscle was quivering from the cold and the sky had filled with dark rain clouds to block out the sun. Between the smoke and the roil of waves he could barely see a thing. There were metal bits everywhere, fat stacks of dangerous columns bobbing in the water.

 

It was only when he saw the body of his plane slowly sinking into the sea that he realized that they had crashed.

 

The flames parted. There were electric next to something that appeared rather solid. Steps emerged from the water and he headed toward them with all the strength he had left. He threw himself onto them and plopped onto his back, still gasping noisily for any ounce of air while his legs dangled in the water. He wiped his face and blinked hard a few times to clear the fog from his vision.

 

There was a light above him, a beacon. _Is this a lighthouse?_

 

The fiery wreckage of his plane was strewn all around him and he shuddered. There didn't seem to be any other survivors. He could barely manage to sit up on his own with his limbs jellied from exhaustion but he eventually got there. He called out across the water and flames but there was no answer. He kept trying, growing more disheartened when no human voice greeted his own. He seemed to be the only survivor and that thought made his heart tremble in fear.

 

How far out to sea was he? What had happened?

 

Dan wrapped his arms across his chest in a futile attempt to get warm. He'd been to the war, even if for only a few scant years. He was trained in this sort of thing. A logical, steady part of his brain started running a list of things he needed to do, what he needed to find. But the rest of him was scared and confused. There was a painful throbbing in the front of his head and it made him groan. He felt around it but there was no blood. Shock, maybe, but not injury.

 

“Where am I?” Dan whispered to himself, soaked shoulders starting to shake.

 

He half-expected an answer and when it didn't come he forced himself not to be disappointed.

 

~*~*~*~

 

_The straps were too tight. The oxygen mask over his face hid the tube they'd shoved down his throat. He kept gagging on it as he tried to scream for help. A blinding light above his head – he shied away from it, desperate for some relief from this Hell. There were two people cast in shadow just a few feet away. They paid no mind to him. He was an experiment, an object being put to the test. They hadn't treated him like a person from the start and there was no reason for it now. They spoke as if he were merely a rat in a cage or a machine humming in the corner._

_A doctor with a covered face and foreign features spoke. “I kept the activation code from him for a reason. Is dangerous. Powerful. If Ryan finds out, we die. Right here. Two bullets in the brain, execution style.”_

_There was a lovely, tall woman with a swathed bundle in her arms. “Give it to me. I need it, for him.”_

_The doctor scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. “Much too dangerous for a woman.”_

_“Why would you help me keep him a secret only to keep the code from me? What? You think I give it to Ryan? I don't like you enough to hang beside you in Apollo Square.”_

_“Fine,” the doctor puffed, dark eyes shining over his mask. “You have it. But use with caution, woman. These not toys we're breeding here. These are the flowers of my work.”_

_He was choking again, more fluid pumping into his stomach and making it swell. He saw the fresh rush of lime colored liquid flowing through the tubes around and swirling down into his limbs. The needles under his skin suddenly felt like thick, invasive fingers. He groaned into the plastic. He strained against his bindings and the noise caught their attention. The bundle in the woman's arms whimpered and there was a tiny face among the folds._

_“It's making a racket again. I can't think under these conditions!” the doctor bellowed, gesturing at the table where he was strapped. “Put him in The Chamber! He's ready enough. The stupid beast, he'll be damn useless. At least we'll see if it works.”_

 

Ryan woke up screaming. Small hands danced over his shoulders and through his beard, warbled words filling his ears. He clawed at whatever he could find – the wall, the sheets, and then his thighs. Fabric tore before flesh, blood welling up around his nails as he whined and scratched to try and get the images out of his head.

 

“Daddy, _stop_.”

 

Ryan's pathetic sounds shorted out when he felt the warm trickle of tears against his neck. They weren't his own. He snapped back into reality so hard he felt bile in the back of his throat. Ray was draped over his back, arms around his neck and face pressed to his throat. His sweet babe was holding him tight and crying quietly along with him.

 

“Please don't hurt, Daddy.”

 

It was the sad, quiet sob of a terrified boy. Ryan quickly reached behind him and dragged his darling around to cradle in his lap. Ray's glowing eyes were brimming with tears and he clung to him like he'd disappear. “Y-You were yelling for so long, Rye. You sounded like – like you were _dying_.”

 

Ryan cooed and shushed away the worried words. He kissed away the wetness and brushed his cheek through the dark hair. As Ray started to quiet down there was another touch on his back. _Gavin_. The other Little Boy rubbed his cheek against his back and cooed like a dove, a soothing noise if there ever was one.  

 

“Nightmare,” Ryan rasped, voice hoarse from all he howling.

 

The two boys snuggled up to him, gifting him with their ADAM-fueled warmth. He let Gavin hum into his nape as he pressed kisses all over Ray's cheeks, saline lingering on his lips. “No tears.”

 

Ray lifted a finger and swiped it over his guardian's face. It came back wet.

 

“No tears,” he echoed.

 

“My Ray,” Ryan sighed. _The pain goes deeper than your words can reach, my love._

 

Ryan turned and laid his boy down, curling up close into him and nearly crushing his chest with his weight. But Ray loved the solid weight and he wrapped around his Daddy like an octopus. Gavin smiled at them and laid down beside him with the stitchpunk doll in his arms. He sunk into the pillow and hummed when Ryan dragged the blanket up around him.

 

With Ray buried so protectively under his Daddy and the little Brit nice and warm, the three fell asleep.

 

The nightmares didn't return.

 

~*~*~*~

 

The rain came fast as the storm rolled in. Dan wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep on the steps of the lighthouse but when he awoke he was soaked to the bone. He lugged his heavy body up the steps until he found a door. Heavy chains barred it and his heart sunk.

 

“No,” he begged as he threw himself at the chains, tugging on them with all his might. They didn't budge. His frozen fingers fiddled uselessly with the lock but it wouldn't give. There was something behind it, though, on the flat side. Adhesive tape of some sort. Dan dug at it with his nails and eventually it peeled away. There was a key lodged in the sticky surface

 

The chains fell away with a clatter he could barely hear over the roar of the storm. He shouldered open the door and it gave easily. A blast of warmth welcomed him and he quickly slammed the door behind him, shutting away the rain and the chill for the almost smothering heat the lighthouse provided. The sudden comfort felt like a shot of whiskey and he stumbled drunkenly further inside. As he took a few steps he heard something kick on and there was light across the room.

 

Then he heard he music. _Where there's music, there's a radio._

 

The further he got, the more lights popped on. He shielded his eyes and squinted at hard sone and gold-plated designs. It looked artisan, expensive, but he could barely look at what the spotlights lit up when everything else was bathed in darkness. If there was anyone here they must be in the basement where the music was coming from. He found the stairs and grabbed the railing, still squinting and unsure as he clung to it and blindly followed the metal bar. He smacked into a wall or two before he managed to hit solid floor.

 

Dan cursed softly before he blinked into the light, forcing himself to adjust. It was a circular room, and tucked into the half-ring of the stairs was some sort of [pod](http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081011192827/bioshock/images/3/3d/Screenshot_-_10_10_2008_,_7_44_24_PM.png). It was a great bronze monstrosity, bits poking out all over, and it's door open. He frowned at it and tried to figure out exactly what he was seeing. The music was being fed from the speakers and he knew he should have climbed the tower in search of the source. He needed to get to a radio of any kind, a way to communicate with the outside world.

 

But there was some kind of tape recorder inside the pod along with squishy, velvety side seats and some sort of lever towards the back of it. The device was just laying on the seat, innocent as anything.

 

 _The radio._.. _I should..._

 

Dan eased past the threshold of the pod's doorway, each step more careful than the last in case it all collapsed. He would just grab it and go. There was a faint whirring around him but he made it no mind.  His fingers curled around the smooth, cold metal handle just as a heavy _thump_ shook it's way to his core. He whirled around just in time to see the door slam shut.

 

“Fucking hell,” Dan hissed. He stepped over and shoved at the door but it was sealed shut. He threw himself at it but the metal was unyielding. He tried a dozen ways to pry it open but the thing was sealed shut. He looked around for a switch but there was only that one lever.

 

What else would it do besides open the door?

 

~*~*~*~

 

The slick sound of their mouths kneading at each other filled Ray's small room. Gavin's sighs were ones of satisfaction and they ghosted across his lips like a second kind of kiss. The boy was slimmer than him, taller, but somehow managed to cover him completely. They'd only been together two days but they hadn't been able to keep their hands off each other. They felt close, connected, and without a proper explanation it fed into a physical drive that they were more familiar with. It was almost like they'd known each other for far longer, just as it had been with Michael. They slotted together quite nicely, chests and hips following the same lines and curves. When they moved it was with a fluidity they couldn't describe but could certainly obey.

 

Gavin had talked his friend into wearing skimpier clothing and he was grateful for it. Their skirts were short and rucked up with each grind of their hips. Gavin wore a pair of Michael's silk panties and Ray's cotton ones were starting to scrape against them with each pass. Long-fingered hands had worked open the button's of the other boy's blouse and worked under it, counting ribs with hungry fingertips and plucking at the tiny buds on his chest until they hardened. Gavin kept whispering about how cute he was and how he never wanted to leave this bed again.

 

“Be better with Ryan,” Ray chuckled breathlessly as the other boy lapped lovingly under his smooth jaw.

 

“And Michael.” Gavin gave him a little nip that made his panties that much tighter. “And Geoff.”

 

“I'll have to get a bigger bed.”

 

“Room enough in ours,” Gavin promised as he fit a thigh between the boy's own to give them both some friction. “But our Daddies wouldn't get a chance to climb in before Michael ate you up.”

 

“Gav!” Ray full on laughed. He got a bite to the throat and a firm thigh against his swelling cock. Those curious fingers edged under his panty line and he yipped, mouth dropping open. Gavin took it as an invitation and slipped his tongue inside in search of his own, lapping up his natural spice from all the ADAM inside him.

 

Just as Gavin curled a hand around his cock the panel of the room came open and Ryan rushed inside, happily clutching a few candy bars he'd found. He jumped down into the room, ready to present, but froze when he saw the two flushed boys on the bed. “ _Oh_.”

 

“Ryan!” Ray sat up and pushed down his skirt, cock straining against the material to leave a noticeable lump. “I-I didn't think you'd be back...we didn't, um...”

 

Ryan sat aside his gift and took off his gloves before he knelt at the edge of the bed. He snagged one of Ray's small ankles and dragged the boy to him until he could properly hover over him. There was a grin on his handsome face and he palmed him through his clothes. Ray mewled into it but the sound turned into a surprised yowl when his skirt was flipped open and panties tore away with an impatient tug. He laid bare under his Daddy's fiery gaze and he wanted to ask him if this was alright.

 

Ryan swallowed the boy's cock and made him damn near _scream_.

 

Gavin slipped a hand under his skirt and watched through lowered lashes, making note of Ryan's blissful expression as he sucked the boy like an eager pup. _Michael would love to see this._

 

~*~*~*~

 

A metal plate had slid over the window of the pod and Dan couldn't see outside anymore, but he could certainly feel it. The tiny room shook hard and there was a sudden jolt that sent him flying into one of the seats. The whole thing was moving and he wasn't sure where. From the sunken-in feeling in his stomach he assumed it was a downward direction. Maybe there were subfloors and this was some sort of elevator. Would there be people?

 

_I should have gone for the radio._

 

Dan slumped in the seat and braced himself. He held on to the tape-recorder and fingered it gingerly, wondering just what to do with himself. There was nothing in the pod but the hum of machinery. He hesitated but after a few minutes he gave in and pressed the play button.

 

' _Daniel_.'

 

He jumped at the sound of his name.

 

' _My name is Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum. Forgive me for this. But there is a job to do. And you, young darling, are the only one to do it_.'

 

This woman's voice was familiar but that name...that was the doctor on the telegram. He pulled it out to double check.

 

' _I cannot tell you everything. There isn't enough time for that. By the time you hear this, I will be long gone, and unable to help. Even if I did tell you the truth, you wouldn't believe me. You are the only one who can discover your true purpose. I can whisper into the chrysalis, I can give you all the tools...but your fate is your own_.'

 

Dan frowned down at the log.

 

' _Daniel, my love. I held you in my arms when you were just a tiny one and I would do anything to keep you safe. But you were bred for this, and there are angels to save_.'

 

The man teared up and looked away, steeling his jaw. He didn't even know this woman and his heartstrings were being tugged on.

 

' _Listen closely. When you reach the city, you must arm yourself. You will fight for your life because no one will give it to you. Stay away from the monsters, and keep to the shadows. Take any Plasmids you find. Find Fontaine Futuristics. Your purpose resides there within the Little Brother's Orphanage and the Little Wonder's Educational Facility. And buried more deeply under all the metal is a laboratory. Find it. There is your answers, your identity. I cannot tell you how to get there for I do not know the condition of the city_.'

 

“The city?” he gasped. What was she talking about?

 

' _Take my boys home. Show them the truth_.'

 

A slight sob came from the log.

 

' _I helped to build them a sugar-coated world. You must shatter it. Being disillusioned is the hardest pill to swallow but it is a necessary evil. Protect yourself, Daniel, and protect them. If you fail, we all fail_.'

 

~*~*~*~

 

When the two groups met up again to give Gavin back, they met at the apartment in Athena's Glory. Ray and Ryan awed at the size and condition of it. Michael greeted them as warmly as a hostess and rained kisses on both their cheeks before leading them through, showing them the living room and useless kitchen and a playroom he had with all his favorite games and toys. The bedroom and the rumpled sheets on the bed made Ray blush.

 

Michael and Gavin dragged Ryan into the playroom to show him how to use a yo-yo and to drag out the dominoes to set up an elaborate fall track. Twin giggles came out of the room and Ray was tempted to go play too but Geoff dragged him off the couch that was set up to face out the window. The whole ocean and the layers of the city were laid out before the. He thought the man wanted to snuggle him or maybe steal a few kisses, but Geoff sat them so they were facing each other and smiled.

 

“I want to show you a few things.”

 

Ray spent the next hour slowly mimicking the the gestures Geoff made with his hand. He learned little things – 'saw something', 'sorry', 'in this area'. Ray's fingers were hesitant to learn the letters of the alphabet but Geoff kept carefully correcting him, his touch gentle. He was getting pretty damn good at it too but they stopped when they heard a desperate cry of _Ray!_ from the playroom along with a bout of giggling.

 

They hurried and both muffled belly laughter at the sight of Ryan covered in red lip marks and Michael grinning, lipstick smeared around his mouth. Gavin was rolling around on the carpet, clutching his stomach and shrieking with giggles.

 

“Michael,” Geoff drew out.

 

“We were just playing a kissing game,” Michael protested innocently before he landed a red smooch right on Ryan's temple. The Big Daddy made a sour face and got another smear of color on his face.

 

“Poor bastard,” Geoff muttered, bumping Ray. “Go save your Daddy before he cries.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

The tiny room jerked to a stop. Dan held tight to the audio log and got to his feet. There were a few flicks of light and whirs around him and it all led to a great _whoosh_ of air as the door unsealed itself. It gave way to a trash room full of broken furniture and crumbling walls. It looked like it had been some sort of parlor but that didn't matter. The far wall caught his attention and he couldn't look away. Clumsy, oafish feet took him across the room. His mind was painful, blank sheet and he didn't want to accept what his eyes were telling him.

 

The ocean. It was _everywhere_. He thought it to be some sort of clever trick but as he got closer it was so obviously real. Trembling hands lifted to lay on the glass and it was like ice under his palms. There were great mounds of coral and flicking families of fish. The flesh of the creatures was opaque, some beings deformed in the way he'd never seen them before. What's more, there were _buildings_ out of the ground. Large and flashy with rows of windows just like the one he was looking out. Some were damaged, but others were so pristine they took his breath away.

 

That breathless choked him up into a strangled sob as the full reality hit him square in the gut. He fell to his knees, fingers squeaking off the glass before his head thumped against it. He was exhausted beyond measure from the swim and the shock. His mind felt like it was clogged with glue and his muscles were liquid, both useless.

 

A city under the sea...what kind of hell had he landed himself in?

 

“What's all this? Little babe lost his way?”

 

Dan picked up his head. There was someone at the end of the hall and they were approaching fast. The light from the window slanted over the figure and he gaped in horror. It was a twisted image of a man – tumorous, filthy, and rabid looking. It was something out of a nightmare. A patchwork, swollen face smirked at him and beady eyes shined.

 

“Can't smell a drop of ADAM in you, boy,” the creature hissed, a mangled tongue darting out from between it's lips. “But I'll carve a useful hole in 'ya. Get my dick wet with something so _alive_.”

 

Dan threw himself back on his hands and crawled as fast as he could, never looking away from the monster as it approached. It had a pipe clutched in its hand and he knew the target would be his skull. He fumbled over debris, rocks scraping his hands, and then his fingers met metal. He barely looked to see what is was (an overly large wrench) before he lugged it up and got to his feet. The mutated man screamed at him and charged but he dodged, tripping him up with the momentum of his own weight and sending him face-first into the floor. He threw himself on top of the man and, without a scrap of hesitation, busted his disgusting face in with the fat end of the wrench. The head caved like a ripe pumping and he huffed like a bull as he took a second swing just to be sure. Muddy blood splattered in thick stripes across the floor but he didn't care.

 

He wouldn't die here.

 

~*~*~*~

 

While Geoff helped Ryan fix his drill extension, the boys gathered together around a small mound of material that they'd gathered. Sacks, buttons, zippers, pieces of metal, even tiny gold cogs. Ray had brought the adhesive and thread and all his experience. He taught the other two how to make stitchpunk dolls one part at a time. Gavin took to sewing like a fish but Michael had an eye for design.

 

As the days went by, Gavin started making little dresses and full outfits for their dolls. Michael oversaw the designs and helped him perfect it. With all the practice and with a little help from his Daddy's fiery touch, Ray became the best at putting together weapons. Tiny drills, a miniature rivet gun, even little spears.

 

Though Michael was unofficially the leader of their little ragtag group, Gavin decided to teach the other boys how to defend themselves. Michael showed real fire and Ray was the fastest thing he'd ever seen, so he took that potential and ran with it. He showed them how to properly listen for Splicers that would be farther away, what kind of metal conducted vibrations well and which walls were best to put your ear against. He revealed the common hiding places that Splicers stashed Eve and their spare weapons.

 

Most importantly, Gavin demonstrated that their ADAM extractor's could be used as weapons if the time came for it.

 

Everyone was shell shocked when their smallest, Ray, took down a nearly three hundred pound Brute Splicer with only a swift cut to the stomach. He'd disemboweled the creature with a pleased grin and then turned to the ground, preening.

 

Ryan had never looked more proud.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ryan was napping upright in their bed, head down and eyes closed. He was stripped to almost nothing and truly relaxing for the first time in two days. There had been an influx of Splicers crawling out of the woodwork. He'd been busy clearing their floor and hadn't really gotten a chance to rest.

 

He woke when Ray plopped into his lap. Ryan yawned and wrapped his arms around his boy's waist, hooking a chin over his shoulder to peer at what was in his hands. Ray had his tongue between his teeth and a fine pencil in his hand as he tried to sketch out an image of his ADAM extractor. His boy had grown envious of Gavin's skill and Ryan's own when he could control his finer motor skills. It seemed he was trying his hand at it and it wasn't half bad.

 

“How does it look, Ryan?” Ray asked as he tilted the sketch pad so his guardian could see better.

 

Ryan yawned into the warmth of his boy's throat before he laid a heavy finger on the paper. “Needle. Shading. Here.”

  
Ray's hand was blanketed by his Daddy's, swallowed up by thick fingers. Ryan guided him to take the side of the pencil into brief strokes around the length of the needle to give it a new roundness. Ray marveled at how it became more real with such a small detail.

 

“Can you help me more with this, Daddy? I want to draw Gavvy something.”

 

He pecked a kiss on the boy's cheek. “ 'Course.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dan took out more of the creatures. 'Splicers' they called themselves. They were hardly human anymore and he didn't feel a thing taking them out with his wrench, and then with the guns he took off their bodies. He found a medical bag to keep all his ammo and spare weapons in. He kept his eye out for a radio, a map, bandages, food, and water.

 

Then he came across a raided store that had a half-torn sign that only had the letters '-smids' left to read. He thought of the audio log all snug inside his bag. _Plasmids_. She'd said to take all of them. He went inside and startled rifling. Though he was still marveling at his predicament, his military training had kicked in along with his strong survival instinct. He understood how anarchy worked. Everything was up for grabs.

 

Shelves, boxes, drawers – they were all empty. He hopped up on a crate and strained for one of the top displays shelves, fingers spread and straining until the tips grazed cool glass. He grunted and tried to get higher and he _just_ managed to grab it. Dan pulled it back and frowned to see it was a fat, almost apple shaped file with a face on the spout. It didn't look like it could be opened naturally but there was a soft bit in the middle of the top of the spout.

 

He grabbed an instruction book off the shelf and thumbed through it, trying to figure out if he should drink it or rub it into his skin or-

 

Dan gagged slightly at the picture display of a syringe going into the top of the bottle. He was supposed to inject it. _Jesus, God in Heaven, what else do I have to lose?_

 

He started thinking about where he'd find a clean syringe when he remembered he picked an empty one off a body just a few hours ago. He'd been so excited by the bag of chips he found that he'd nearly forgot. He pulled it out and with a bit of bottled water he managed to clean it off. It was an industrial syringe with a thick plunger and a handle to make the flow fast, the label on the side of a blue apple and the word _Eve_.

 

“Religious nuts,” Dan growled as he filled the plunger full. He wasn't sure exactly what this was going to do to him but he wasn't sure how long he'd survive down here without a little boost. The syringe housed almost all of it and he stared at the glowing canister with no small measure of trepidation. “Best just to take the plunge.”

 

Dan laughed pathetically at his own joke before he just dropped to his knees and circled both hands around the syringe. His laughter morphed into a loud wail as he drove the needle into his thighs and flushed the hot drug into his body. It burned like fire and his vision went red, every muscle in his entire body cramping at once so he went rigid. He took a loud breath and tried to calm down but then he saw the blue lines shining under his pants his scream was one of _horror._ The veins went all through his body and straight up into his hands, fingers crackling loudly.

 

The pain was unimaginable and he felt the wobbly line of reality and limbo under him.

 

A current surged between his hands and he could feel the heat behind his eyes. His brain was boiling, his teeth were melting, he was _dying_ and it would be all alone in some forgotten, impossible city. There was a cyclone between his ears and needles in his very bones. He couldn't make a sound tragic enough to express what he felt so his throat closed up.

 

There was a skitter outside the store and he instinctively raised his hands in defense.

 

A bolt of pure electricity shot from his fingers before landing straight into the chest of a Splicer. It was like pure sensation flowing through his arm and striking out ten feet away, an extension of himself but not himself. He could smell the burnt flesh as the Splicer’s body shot out of the doorway and out of sight, smoke trailing behind it.

 

Dan’s smile was weak as he bit out, “Gonna’ need more of that.”

 

The man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head just before the pain took over and he blacked out.

 

~*~

 

The scream was faint but blood-curdling. Gavin froze in place, head cocking slightly to try and pick up the agonized sound more clearly. Something inside him yearned to go check out the disturbance but he wasn’t sure why. He dared take a step away but Ray’s voice called him back.

 

“Gavin! We have to get back!”

 

His friend was already in the nearby vent with a panicked look and his hand stretched out to grab his own. They’d come together to check out an ADAM scent but it had been a trap. They’d just gotten away from a hungry group of Splicers and they catch up any second.

 

“Don’t you hear that?” Gavin insisted, throwing his chin in the direction of the scream.

 

“Leave it. It’s probably a Splicer!” Ray insisted, fingers staining for his friend’s hand. “Please, Gav, I don’t want to leave you.”

 

Though his gut instinct was telling him to go check out the sound, Gavin went against it for the first time and chose Ray. He climbed up into the vent and pressed a kiss across his worried mouth. “Don’t worry, love, I’m not going anywhere.”

 

* * *

 

**Your feedback is not only welcomed but heavily devoured and thrived upon.**

 

 


	10. Falling into Sheets and Melancholy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan is getting ever closer to the boys though even he's not sure why. Meanwhile, those little darlings can't keep their hands off each other. Sometimes their family feels more like a harem.
> 
> -
> 
> “I will always catch you,” Geoff swore with a kind smile. “And I will never, ever drop you.”

“Stay,” Ryan rasped as he dropped a kiss on Gavin’s forehead, another on Ray’s waiting lips. His voice was particularly bad today. “Be back.”

 

Gavin waited a respectable time after Ryan left to plop down in Ray’s lap and ask the question he’d been dying to voice since they’d met. “Ryan seems like the strong and silent type, and he does have that neat language with his hands and all. But why doesn’t he talk to you more? Is it because I’m here? Is he more active when I’m not visiting?”

 

Ray frowned and he thought he’d ruined it all.

 

“I’m sorry, Ray. I shouldn’t have said anything! It was rude and-”

 

Ray slapped a hand over his mouth and raised a brow, more exasperated than surprised at the way the other immigrant could babble. “Gavin. It’s fine.”

 

Gavin sighed as the hand left his mouth and he threw an arm around the boy’s shoulders. “So what is it?”

 

“Ryan got… _damaged_ when they turned him into a Big Daddy,” Ray admitted, pausing to nibble nervously at the corner of his lip. “They weren’t particularly nice to him. Have you seen his eyes?” The other boy nodded. “He said they cut him open to get to his glands or something and they ruined his voice. The stuff that makes us talk?”

 

“They clipped his vocal chords?”

 

“Yeah, they messed them up,” Ray sighed sadly. “Some days he can’t talk at all. But there are good days too.”

 

“How sad,” Gavin whined. “I bet his real voice was lovely. He seems like the kind of bloke who could talk a bird into bed with just a whisper.”

 

“Mmm, but he doesn’t need a voice with me.” Ray smiled mischievously as he ran his fingers up the other boy’s back. “When he touches me, I feel everything he wants to say. There’s a novel in his kisses.” He bussed his lips over the shell of Gavin’s ear. “And he says I love you every morning when I wake up to him already buried inside me.”

 

Gavin’s thighs went tense. “You little tart.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ray was almost too busy marveling at Michael’s little poodle skirt number and pale ankles to see the kiss. It was brief but Michael surely got up on his tippy-toes, feet arching out of his heels, to kiss Ryan right on the mouth. His Daddy was noticeably embarrassed but not uncomfortable. He playfully patted Michael’s curls and the boy giggled sweetly.

 

While Gavin showed off a carton of trap rivets he’d found to the Big Daddies, Ray came up behind his elegant friend and tapped him on the arm. Michael twirled to face him and it was like being hit with the sun. He swallowed nervously and ducked his head.

 

“Michael?”

 

The resurgence of shy behavior had Michael faltering. “Yeah?”

 

“You and Geoff are really close, aren’t you?”

 

“Of course!” Michael laughed. “He’s my Daddy.”

 

“You guys have bonded and everything?”

 

“Yeah-huh.”

 

Ray hesitantly looked up through the veil of his lashes. “So you couldn’t imprint on another Big Daddy, right?”

 

“I’m not sure. I don’t really know how that works besides the basic stuff,” the other boy hummed. “Why? What’s wrong?”

 

“You don't want two Daddies, do you?” Ray felt his eyes burn with unshed tears. “You won't take Ryan from me, will you? P-Please don't, Michael, he's all I have! He's everything to me and I don't know what I'd do without him.”

 

Ray's fists clenched and he dropped his chin down to his chest. “I know I don't dress like you do, that I'm kinda' plain, but don't take-”

 

Ray's voice cut out as he was enveloped in a tight, reassuring hug. Michael pressed their cheeks together and wrapped him up in his arms and the exotic smell of his skin creams. A wet kiss brushed just under his ear and a tear of relief slipped down his cheek.

 

“Please,” Michael begged in a rough, broken tone that was shockingly different from his usual voice. “Please don't tell me you think I'm like that. Please don't think I would wreck your beautiful love because I'm some...some greedy _tramp_. I'm so sorry, Ray.”

  
Ray gaped as he felt faint wetness on his skin. Tears from the elegant boy's own glowing eyes. “I just love the company and you two are so wonderful, with me and together and with Geoff.” He sniffled and pulled back, running the back of his hand under his eyes to wipe away his shame. “Daddy says I-I have a lot of love to give, and I don't know how to express it properly. Forgive me, Brother.”

 

Ray dragged the boy back into his arms and accepted all the tiny butterfly kisses he had to give. “Always, Michael. I should've known you wouldn't.”

 

“God, _never_ ,” Michael swore.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dan followed every sign, every hall, but all the bathyspheres he came across only led to other parts of the city. Then he found it. The plaque above the doorway read _Surface Travel Station_ and he made a beeline for it, pistol in hand and ready to defend himself if he had to. He saw the busted stalls and he panicked but there was a second room with a closed door. A [poster](http://40.media.tumblr.com/1cb66858f66b57f7ba74209378ac2c6e/tumblr_nh27h3eYa31r4uv0wo6_1280.jpg) was plastered across the metal. It was worn along the edges, faded.

 

 **Attention!  
ALL BATHYSPHERE TRAVEL** **IS NOW  
** **DENIED!**

 

“No!” Dan tried to pry open the doors with his fingertips but they kept slipping off the edge. He banged his fists and even drove his knee into it but the only results he got were bruises. Disheartened, he slumped against it. “You can't keep me here, you bastards. I'll get out!”

 

He huffed in frustration, voice lowering to an inaudible rasp. “I'll get out.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ray woke up warm and buried in his sheets, face half in the pillow. There was a nice weight on him – not smothering, but comforting. He wasn't sure what or who it was at first but then there was a dove-like coo in his ear. When he managed to get his voice it was a sleepy husk. “Gavin?”

 

“I like that you sleep in just your socks,” Gavin murmured in his ear, one hand wriggling between the boy's stomach and the bed. “And that you don't wear silk. You're so different from Michael.” Fingers plucked at the edge of his thigh highs before they started sliding along cotton panties.

 

“I-I'm kinda' plain,” Ray yawned.

 

“No,” Gavin protested with a nip to his ear. “You're so _real_ , Rayray. Love the feel of you.” His hand crept down under weak elastic before he curled it around the boy's small, wet-tipped cock. “And I bet you like the feel of _this_.”

 

The touch shocked him. He went up on his knees as much as he could manage to put some space between him and the mattress, face still pressed into the pillow to muffle his sounds. Gavin fit so tight up against him, hips aligned well for wonderful friction and a smooth grind that felt like the rhythm Ryan used in the dead of night when he wanted to show him just how much he loved him. He keened and pressed into the hardness he could feel against the curve of his ass.

 

“You should sink yourself into one of us sometime.” Gavin moaned lightly into his nape. “Michael's let me and it's so nice, Ray. I never knew how wet and tight we were for our Daddies. Tiny rims clinging to such thick flesh.”

  
“Oh gosh, _stop_ ,” Ray begged, hips working harder into the ring of his friend's fingers. They grew slick with each movement and it only made him hotter, color blooming on his cheeks. He could feel Gavin's legs scraping against his own even through the long socks. Now he thought of Michael spread out on that overstuffed bed with ripped underwear nearby and lush cheeks pared to show off a slick, pink hole for his use. Or Gavin laid out on his back, legs raised, grinning and fingering himself invitingly for him. To see what their Daddies saw, to know it was for him...it was an intoxicating idea. “Y-You would let me?”

 

“In a heartbeat,” Gavin swore. Every move of his hips sent Ray straight into his hand and he upped the tempo, mimicking what it would be like if they should ever be so intimate. The boy beneath him was clawing at the bed and moving with him, cute punched out gasps leaving his lips. _He really is the sweetest little button._

 

The heat in Ray's stomach was bleeding into his thighs.

 

“Gav, please, you're going to make me – _oh_.” Ray shifted down so his head so his forehead scrubbed along the pillow. “I-I'll make a mess.”

 

“Good.” Gavin tightened his fist. “Make a right mess for Ryan to lick up when he gets back.”

 

That image – Ryan kneeling on the bed, blue eyes practically _radiating_ as his tongue swiped firmly over soiled sheets – it set off fireworks behind his eyes. His pathetic whimpering hit a crescendo before his voice crackled, the first splash of seed hitting the sheets.

 

“There's a good boy,” Gavin cooed as he slowly worked the bobbing length, breathing in the fresh musk. “Come like it's for your Daddy.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

The city's pathways were full of Splicers and Dan managed to avoid the thick of things. He nooks and crannies to wedge himself into for brief bouts of sleep and there was just enough food to keep his stomach from growling. He found more Plasmids and reluctantly injected every one of them, each sending him into a powerful fit that left him blacked out on the floor. It was getting easier to smother his screams and last time he'd managed to stay conscious. Every power was more terrifying than the last and he learned quickly, thanks to an audio log, that he needed Eve to fuel them.

 

Dan found it sickening that the injections were slowly getting less painful.

 

He never stopped looking for others like him. He stumbled across corpses of all states of decay, some tumorous like Splicers but other deceivingly normal. After prodding at all the flesh, he realizes there was more of that red juice inside their dead veins. _ADAM_ , a true drug that seemed to both fuel and destroy this city. It flowed through the veins of every citizen, including his own. He could see the appeal. There was a siren song within each drop but he didn't _need_ it like these people did.

 

There was a sense of ozone with concentrated pinpoints of ADAM. He could feel it and almost smell it when he was close to a hidden jar or Splicer who was bursting at the seams with it.

 

And that feeling was happening now.

 

Dan followed the strange sensation with quiet steps and kept his back to the wall, his face in the shadows. He took to a stairwell and climbed down it as carefully as he could to avoid debris. He hit the bottom floor and heard voices. Of the two doors at the base there was only one left standing, the other long broken off. He eased up behind the metal and waited with bated breath to make clear the voice he could hear trickling in from the main room.

 

“You're nervous.” And then there was a grunt, a reply. “Christ, buddy, you're _upset_. What's wrong?”

 

Then it was quiet for the longest time. After a while he dared to lean forward and peek around the door.  There were two hulking figures down the hall. He couldn't make out their finer details but there was a flash of blonde hair as the larger one knelt before the other.

 

“I know you're uneasy.” That voice was like poured whiskey and Dan felt himself relaxing as he had not done since he arrived. “You don't want your boy to see you like this, do you?” There was a whine but it was faint. “How about a little stress relief?”

 

Dan swallowed thickly at the heavy-handed suggestion in those words. He thought he could hear clothes rustling but he couldn't be sure. The two figures moved closer and there was a stream of light to reveal the curve of a large shoulder and the upturned jaw of the one kneeling, eyes hidden still. It was a handsome, strong face of what he could see with golden stubble and a slash of pink lips. A man, then. A large one at that. Power radiated off the two men and there was a shiver of fear up his spine.

 

“You're anxious.” It was a pure honeyed hiss. “You just need to take a pacifier for a minute or two.”

 

The kneeling man's lips were dampened by the swipe of the tongue before they obediently parted.

 

“It always does you a world of good to have something in your mouth.”

 

Dan decided it was time for him to get out of here. Maybe they weren't Splicers, but he didn't feel it was safe to linger. If they were involved in something risky then they wouldn't want someone poking around while they were doing it. He wanted to call to them, to ask how to get out of this place, but then another shift and peek of light and the removal of gloves showed their skin. It was pale and grey. Nothing putrid, but certainly inhuman.

 

Dan left the way he came. He would have to get around them somehow.

  
Besides, he had a map to find.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ray wasn't sure how sitting around sewing small dresses and bragging about how much ADAM they all gathered that day turned into _this_. He had been stripped of everything but his striped knee socks by clever hands and coaxing mouths. His friends had taken long turns kissing him until his head felt like it was packed full of feathers. He barely managed to suck in breaths between them before his lips were taken again. Michael favored deeper, more intimate kisses where he tasted every inch of his tongue. Gavin teased as he did in all things, lips pecking and the very tip of his tongue darting out to try and coax him into playing.

 

Ray got hooked under the arms and dragged up until his back met Gavin's clothed chest. He protested, telling them to stop ganging up on him, but long fingers had pressed against his mouth rather insistently. It was such a suggestive move but he couldn't help but parting his lips to let them slip inside. Gavin tasted so clean and it had felt rather natural to start suckling them, lashes falling low as he laved at the knuckles and unpolished nails. He nibbled at them lightly and lost himself in the act, the pressure on his tongue activating some kind of instinct for him to relax.

 

“We'll take good care of you,” Michael promised with a purr that had the boy parting his legs when soft hands laid upon them. He blushed at being so exposed but it was worth it to see the boy's soft expression as he drifted across his body. Gavin pressed harder on his tongue as his hand slid around to lightly toy with the buds on Ray's chest. It was the greatest distraction and the boy's eyes slid shut to savor it.

 

“Michael!” Ray squeaked around the fingers in his mouth when he felt lips dab at the head of his cock. He tried to sit up but Gavin held him tight, digits pressing harder on his tongue to make him gag wetly. He arched in his strain to relieve some pressure and the movement encouraged Michael to lap at the tip   to make the flesh plump up. Ray shook his head and tried to protest but as his cock was swallowed he lost all his words. As his mouth was full of two slim digits and Michael's own mouth hotly surrounded him, Ray turned into a mewling, writhing mess that couldn't help but rock between them.

 

He couldn't lie, he'd thought about this quite a few times. He looked up to Michael so much and Gavin had become such a close friend that his dreams had started to wander to his silk-sheeted bed. Ryan was due back any minute but all he could think about was the skilled tongue curling along him and the liquid warmth that was pouring through him.

 

And then Gavin's fingers slid out from his lips and he mindlessly chased them.

 

“Oral fixation, this one,” Gavin teased with a small giggle before reaching behind him for something on the shelf behind Egg and Michael's favorite teddy bear, Mogar. The stuffed animals moved aside easily and he brought out an open canister full to the brim with ADAM. He brought it around and put the rim to Ray's slack mouth.

 

The boy stared in awe at the sloshing, glowing liquid and watched as it was tilted closer up as if meaning to pour down his throat. “Gav?”

 

“Be a good boy and drink it up,” Gavin commanded, shooting a wink at Michael when the boy looked up from how reverently they had been lowered. “We're going to top you off.”

 

Ray relaxed his jaw and let the liquid slide over his tongue and down his gullet. Gavin was merciful but insistent and a couple swallows became a dozen. The boy moaned in a mix of excitement and discomfort as Michael swallowed his cock as much, depravedly mimicking his effort. Ray felt his stomach start to strain and he wriggled around, eyes clenched shut as he sweet burn of the drug started to truly seep into him. It inflamed his system and turned his senses up high until he could smell the lust in the air and could hear every wet suckle Michael made around his cock. Gavin stroked the writhing boy's belly and chest, keeping an eye on his stomach and his flexing throat. He wanted to fill Ray up, not hurt him, but his friend was taking it all.

 

“We're going to get you all full for your Daddy.” Gavin's sultry promise made him moan around a mouthful of the spicy drug. “We'll get you ready for him and we'll get to see how pretty you can be for him when you're ready to be milked. We'll watch him drink you dry.”

 

Ray could feel that swelling sensation growing into a fever-pitch. He tried to warn them but as he reached the last fourth of the canister it was taken away. He gasped for breath and bright, unseeing eyes were on the ceiling as his entire body went on overdrive. There was a new, small bump to his stomach and there was a swirl of red just under his skin. Veins and belly grew swollen as his body sopped up the ADAM.

 

Michael slid off the overwhelmed boy's cock. “He's _twitching_.”

 

“Just a little more, then, love.”

 

Michael shot him a wink before he sunk back down to sheath the wet length. He rubbed the soft thighs and the even softer thigh highs that bracketed his head. He let Ray rut up between his lips as much as he wanted, allowing him to get that much closer to the edge and become more ripe for the plucking. Though he knew the other boy was probably too overwhelmed to feel it, he could sense Ryan approaching the apartment.

 

Their little plan had to go just right.

 

“Oh,” Ray moaned out, a hand spread out over his ADAM-filled stomach. “My tummy...I-I feel like I'm gonna' pop. There's so much _pressure_.”

 

“Perfect.” Gavin's fingers caught a hard nip and twisted until the boy whined like he couldn't get enough. Two sets of hands roamed over him, driving him up, and eventually he cried out when the fizzling beneath his skin became too much. The door opened and Gavin moved out from behind Ray, laying the boy down despite his weak protest. Michael followed his lead and popped off the hot flesh just at the beginning of the end. 

 

“No! Michael, please, I'm so close,” Ray begged, then he saw the towering figure of his Daddy in the door and his stomach clenched tight. “R-Ryan? Oh god, I...”

 

Across the room, Ryan’s heart was in his throat and his knees threatened to give out with the rush of blood to his groin. He’d heard the cry from outside and he would have been concerned but he knew every kind of pleasured sound that could be wrung out of his boy’s body. And he was met with quite a vision. Ray’s eyes were nuclear and there were spider veins threaded across his bared skin, the sparse covering of his socks making the display even more obscene. The boy’s cock was slick from Michael’s mouth and the tender buds on his chest were dark and hard, inviting little points that called for his tongue. Tiny fists were clenched tight in the sheets and his body drew tight like a bowstring, hips driving into the air, length visibly throbbing before he started to spurt. Ryan’s stomach bottomed out and his jaw dropped dumbly as he watched his boy spill untouched all ripe with ADAM as he was. Strained, needy sounds escaped his lips as his thin seed shot over his stomach and threatened to drip over his sides with each quiver. His chest trembled with a shuddered breath but he did not relax, the insistent throbbing in his gut and the burn in the back of his eyes telling him he needed to be relieved in more than just the physical.

 

Michael sat down at his vanity and pulled Gavin into his lap, playing with the hem of his friend’s skirt and kissing his shoulder for a job well executed. Neither Ryan nor Ray were paying attention to them and he knew they could do as they like. The bonded pair could only see each other now.

 

“Ryan,” Ray choked, hands prying off the bed to reach for his Big Daddy, “Take it.”

 

Ryan hushed him as he yanked at his shoestrings until he could clumsily kick off his boots. He’d stripped off his dirtier clothes when he’d come into the apartment but Gavin still thought the man still looked like a rough giant as he covered Ray’s slight, vulnerable form. Ryan slanted a filthy kiss across his charge’s mouth and licked away the ADAM that remained there. His bare hand came up and laid over Ray’s throat, palm settling well across his bobbing Adam’s apple and curling to feel the flutter of his pulse.

 

Ryan crooned and it made the other two boys sigh in unison. The noise was heartfelt and they sunk into each other from just the pure _love_ that resided there. There was an all too familiar glow between his hand and Ray’s throat and the boy’s skin burst with tendrils of light. His whine was absolutely decadent and Michael bit down on Gavin’s shoulder to smother his moan when there was a second splash of seed from their small friend’s spent cock.

 

“Please,” Ray babbled, voice seeming to echo as the Plasmid drew the ADAM from his form and up into his Daddy. “Rye, please, Daddy, I-I’m so full. _God_.”

 

An hour later when Geoff got back from his patrol, he was surprised to see his boys wrapped around each other on the couch while Gavin quietly read a book aloud. The bedroom door was shut. “Do I even want to know?”

 

“Rye and Ray are cuddling,” Michael informed him as the other boy turned the page. “I wouldn’t disturb them. Rayray’s a little _exposed_ and you know his Daddy’s protective.”

 

Geoff went to open the door but the first sight he caught was the curve of Ray’s pert ass and the enticing line of a striped sock. Ryan’s hand was nearly covering all of the boy’s lower back and the touch screamed _mine._

 

“We’ll just let those two rest,” Geoff declared as he closed the door again. “Scooch over, baby boy. What book are you reading?”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Ray and Gavin made hunting for angels a sort of sport between them and their Daddies weren’t opposed to the idea of having their little family together more often than not. Safety in numbers and all that. Sometimes those exertions took them to strange places, like to a nearly isolated basement with a side lounge. There were no stairwells or convenient handholds to take advantage of. There was one crack to squeeze through and it was full of sharp, broken pipes and lengths of steel and half submerged in water. A vent fed into the area but it was high up and there was barely a ledge to stand on.

 

But there were two swollen angels inside the basement with too much ADAM for them to pass up.

 

Gavin was the first to jump and he did it with an excited squeal, long limbs flailing happily as the air rushed by him. Geoff grunted as he caught him and planted a kiss on his grinning mouth. “You’re all arms and legs, kid.”

 

Ray hesitated but once Ryan opened his arms he felt an ease wash over him. He turned to face the vent and shot Michael a wink before he held out his arms, eyes closing tight before he let himself fall backward. His blouse and skirt billowed and he giggled at the feeling, the mirthful sound cutting into a grunt as he was caught. Ryan kissed him rather soundly and Geoff rolled his eyes as the bonded pair got caught up in a dance of lips and tongues.

 

“Okay, Michael!” Geoff called up, opening his own arms.

 

Michael shuffled nervously along the edge. He’d glad he’d worn flats because just looking down at the freefall made him dizzy. He pressed tight to the wall. “Maybe I can just wait up here?”

 

“Baby,” Geoff laughed, “There’s no fun in that. I’m right here and I’d never let you get hurt. Just jump. You saw the boys, there’s nothing hard to it.”

 

“It’s so high,” Michael whined.

 

“Michael, listen to me.”

 

The boy nodded quickly, peering down to properly look at his Daddy.

 

“I will _always_ catch you,” Geoff swore with a kind smile. “And I will never, _ever_ drop you.”

 

Michael smeared his lipstick as he worriedly chewed on his lip but he knew what the man said was true. Geoff had never let him down, not once. He trusted him in all things.

 

And with that thought, he fell.

 

Geoff caught his boy with great ease and swung him around, bringing him up into a claiming kiss that erased the terror that had been searing his lovely face. Michael wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and broke the seal of their lips only to rub their noses affectionately.

 

“Didn’t I promise never to drop you?” Geoff husked.

 

“I never doubted you, Daddy.”

 

As their mouths met again, Gavin hid his crestfallen expression and slipped off away from the others. Ryan saw the shine that had come to the boy’s eyes and he patted Ray’s shoulder, dropping a kiss on top of his head to encourage him to stay put. He followed Gavin inside the lounge area and saw that it was almost bare, a few toppled chairs but not much else. The Little Brother had retreated to the far window and was staring out at the ocean, palm swiping harshly at his cheeks once in a while to hide his escaped tears.

 

Ryan walked up to stand beside him, towering over the skinny lad. “Gavin?”

 

Gavin sniffled quietly before he looked up at the man with a sad smile, lashes glittering. “I’m alright, big guy.”

 

Ryan shook his head. “No.”

 

“I am, really, it’s just that…” he trailed off as the truth of his thoughts came to light to leave an ache in his heart. “I love Geoff, but he’s not my Big Daddy. Not like he’s Michael’s.”

 

Blonde brows drew together. “Yes.”

 

Gavin shook his head as the ache deepened until it crept into his voice, threatening to crack it. “No, Ryan. You can feel a real bond. I’ve heard Ray and Michael describing it and it’s just not there.” He wiped a stray tear away with the heel of his palm. “It doesn’t bother me. I love them a lot. But sometimes I feel…skipped over, I guess.”

 

Ryan’s faint whine made him smile and he patted the man’s arm reassuringly. “I know I belong with you guys, but I lay awake at night and think about what could’ve happened to my Daddy – if I ever had one even. No Big Daddy has ever really loved me like you love Ray. Geoff’s the closest I’ve ever had.”

 

“I could,” Ryan stated so suddenly that the boy nearly jumped. Gavin laughed at the notion and it made the other frown. “ _Really_.”

 

“You could be my Daddy?” Gavin teased light-heartedly.

 

Ryan nodded quickly and ran a hand down the lad’s back. “You. Ray. My boys?”

 

“Ryan, that’s so cute,” Gavin awed. “We could belong to you, huh? Your two pretty boys putting on a show for you every night. We could make a mess of the bed and then you could come in and make it even _messier_. You’re big enough to cuddle us both and we’d keep you warm at night.”

 

Gavin hooked a finger in the guardian’s collar and brought him down to ready lips. Ryan’s kiss was smooth and welcome, but chaste. It was a searching touch, an exploration, but there was no pull in their guts. No fireworks, no surges of need. It was nice but when they pulled away there was bittersweet disappointment on their faces.

 

“See?” Gavin’s voice cracked on the word and he cleared his throat. “You don’t feel anything, do you?”

 

Ryan shook his head. A joyless smile curled his lips as he touched the boy’s cheek with the curl of his knuckle. “I would. Found you first, wanted to… _save_. Not alone.”

 

“I’m not alone,” Gavin assured him, going up on his tiptoes to brush their noses. “Thank you, Rye. If we could bond, I have no doubt that you’d be the best Big Daddy.”

 

“Would if I could,” Ryan croaked brokenly.

 

“Me too, big guy. Me too.”

 

* * *

 

**Pretty please forgive spelling mistakes, I'm sort of on a time crunch with school starting soon. I would love to get this fic complete in the next two days.**

 

 

 


	11. Of Monsters and Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan stumbles across a boy named Ray, and Ryan must prove he's not a monster.

**Since I dragged my butt on this, I'm just going to post this chapter up into chunks because I'm starting school soon and I want everyone to be satisfied. Me and you lovely readers :)  
**  
 **Feedback is appreciated, sex is hard for me to write. Fairly short but hopefully a little satisfying.**  
  
 **Thank you literallynsfw for the lovely**[Ryan drawing](http://literallynsfw.tumblr.com/post/105855991961/a-ref-i-made-for-myself-so-i-can-draw-more-of)!

                                                                      

 

* * *

 

 

Dan heard the terrified scream and his feet took him off toward the direction of it before he could properly figure out what he was going to do about it. He loaded his newly acquired shotgun and rounded the corner to see a group of Splicers gathered around a hole in the wall. He kept seeing those air vents all over the place and he’d wondered if they were for more than just oxygen travel. He got his answer when the grasping creatures pulled something out of it – someone, actually. He saw legs coated in long, plaid socks and the ruffle of a pleated skirt coming out of the vent and all his protective instincts bubbled to the surface.

 

“No! Let me go, let me _go_!”

 

“Hey!” Dan barked, already charging a fistful of electricity. “Leave her alone! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, you fucking wankers!”

 

They weren’t hard to strike down. Those cowards who didn’t run away weren’t anything compared to some of the creatures he’d encountered down here. They came at him with wrenches and knives and he fried them from the inside out. Those that didn’t fry had their heads blown to pieces. In the end Dan ended up with a nasty gash in his arm and some bruises but nothing that would kill him. He clamped a hand over the bleeding wound and kicked aside some of the corpses to get to the cowering figure in the corner near the vent.

 

“Are you hurt, love?” Dan asked. He couldn’t see her face as it was hidden by her arms but she looked terrified, trembling like she too would be attacked. He eased down in a kneel to put himself on her level. The poor girl didn’t look any older than sixteen. “Come on, girl, I won’t hurt you. They’re gone now and they can’t hurt you anymore.”

 

Thin arms lowered to reveal glowing, curious eyes.

 

“Oh!” Dan blinked a few times trying to process exactly what he was seeing. “You’re, um, you’re sort of…well…”

 

“What?” the voice had an extra ethereal note to it. It truly wasn’t human.

 

“You’re a boy,” Dan covered up quickly. “I’m sorry. Are you okay there, love?”

 

“I think so,” the boy replied as he looked over himself for any sign of injury. “I-I think I made it out okay.”

 

“Well there’s a relief,” Dan smiled encouragingly, glad to see someone who wasn’t one of those monsters. “My name’s Dan. What’s yours?”

 

“Ray.”

 

 _Cute thing._ “Well, little Ray, how'd you get here?”

 

“I was born here.” The strange, glowing eyes were fixated on his arm. “Mister? You're hurt.”

 

Dan slowly pried his hand off his wet wound and his fingers were darkly stained. “Just a little, love. No worries. Flesh wound, really.”

 

“You got hurt saving me,” Ray pouted as he crawled forward, socks skimming across the floor before he stopped in front of the man. The boy's hands looked so delicate as they came up and laid over his wound. “Let me help.”

 

“You're getting blood all over...” Dan gaped in disbelief as the boy's palms started to glow. It was as red as he ADAM in the jars and it started to grow warm. There were sparks dancing between them and it would have hurt if it hadn't felt so comforting. He hissed through his teeth as he felt a pull in his skin and then it was like pure, dry ice had been put on his arm. It made him yank away. Ray drew back, frightened, and when the man looked down at his torn sleeve there was blood but no longer an open wound. Instead the flesh had gathered into a flushed scar that looked a year or two old instead of a fresh injury. He almost couldn't believe it.

 

“How did you do this?” Dan grabbed for the boy's hand and flipped it over, trying to find anything unnatural, but it was all smooth. “Was it a Plasmid? What was it? How could you have healed me so quick? Where did you learn this?”

 

Ray whimpered and pulled back, hiding his face. Dan quieted when he realized his eagerness was scaring the boy. He let him go and put some space between them. “I'm sorry. That's just a neat little trick you have there.”

 

The boy smiled but he couldn't raise his eyes from the floor anymore. The poor thing was spooked. Dan wanted to bring him into his arms and assure him he wasn't dangerous but he was sure it would hurt more than help. Ray got up and brushed off his skirt, face still submissively lowered. Dan stood up and meant to follow him but the boy turned and started reaching for the vent. His fingers clawed and scrambled for the edge, cute little shoes clicking off the floor and even the wall as he tried to reach it. He grunted a few times before he seemed to decide he really couldn't reach the vent himself. The boy slumped against the wall with a frustrated huff.

 

“Do you need help, little love?”

 

Ray turned to look at him rather shyly, dark-spun lashes fanning so beautifully across his cheeks. He was quite an adorable lad and Dan wanted to help him anyway he could. There was a nod and he moved into position below the vent, lacing his hands together to make a brace. “I'll give you a lift. Step up.”

 

“T-Th...” the boy mumbled.

 

“You're welcome,” Dan answered with a wink. “Hop up.”

 

Ray nodded and laid a hand on his shoulder, foot coming up to rest on the laced platform of his fingers. Dan was about to hoist the boy up when he heard a low, inhuman snarl that bounced off the walls and seemed to surround them.

 

There was a great giant of a man at the end of the hall, past where he himself had come in. Dan thought it matched the men he'd seen the other day and that only struck fear into his chest. The figure was formidable with arms twice the size of his or more and towering a head above him. A heavy looking rivet gun fell from the man's hand and the other wielded a dangerous drill that latched high on the powerful swell of his bicep. It too fell with a heavy thud. Thick clothes, a metal plate across the wide plain of his chest, and his face...

 

The short, golden beard looked familiar but the rabid snarl twisting his lips was not. That greyish skin, he knew it. His nose and forehead were crinkled up in a savage expression that shocked Dan down to his bones. The man's swoop of blonde hair did nothing to soften him. He was a mile of muscle and brick wall, and his gloved fingers were crackling with red sparks.

 

A handsome, blood-thirsty beast stared him down with scarred, reddened eyes. Spurts of flame exploded from his fingertips and then there was a swirl of fire around his hands, up his arms, broiling the flesh of his exposed neck and cheeks but there wasn't a flinch to show pain. The flames circled him threateningly but it wasn't to the monster – it was aimed at him.

 

Dan stood and pushed Ray behind him, pulling his pistol out of his belt. “Get behind me. I'll protect you.”

 

The hulking man roared at his words and charged like a canon ball. There was a great surge of red that filled Dan's vision and then he was thrown on the ground, fire licking at his forearms and ready to catch his clothes any second. The man clamped a heavy hand down on Dan's face and the soldier screamed as the burn started to sink in. He was covered, smothered, and he though his lungs would burst from the sheer heat of it.

 

They both could hear Ray's delicate, alarmed voice. “Ryan, stop it! He wasn't going to hurt me! He's not an angel or a baddie! Daddy, stop, you'll kill him! You're gonna' crush his head!!”

 

Except that was _exactly_ what Ryan wanted to do. The Big Daddy was seeing pure red and the maggot under his fingers was about to get squished into pulp for touching his darling. He could smell the purity in the man and the fact that this puny human would dare come near his Little Boy and then try to _protect him?_ That was _his_ job, and no one else's. He touched him, he was inches from his skirt, he could have easily done anything to his tiny boy. Dark, terrified eyes stared wide up from between Ryan's fingers and he wanted to gouge them out. The flames from his favored Plasmid roared around him and he could hear his labored breaths dragging out of his throat.

 

He wouldn't be satisfied until he had this bastard's blood on his muzzle.

 

“Daddy, please, he saved me,” Ray begged shamelessly as he tried to reach out for his guardian. There was a surge of fire and a growl before there was a high pitched scream. The flames died away immediately, the Big Daddy and the human going stock still as Ray flung himself into the wall in a desperate attempt to escape the lingering heat. His hands were held in front of him, shaking and blistered. The boy had a twin trail of tears on his cheeks as he stared at them. “D-Daddy?”

 

Dan found himself picked up by his head and tossed like he was nothing more than a sack of flour. He skidded off the floor, bag clattering sharply off the cement, and stopped when he finally hit the wall. His neck felt half cracked and his spine was out of place, his face burning, but he was able to quickly push himself to his feet. The man, so monstrous like a demonic bull only a few moments ago, looked like a whipped puppy in heel.

 

Dan took this chance and bolted as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

 

“Ray,” Ryan whimpered as he dropped to his knees in front of the boy. He shed his gloves and carefully cradled the already-healing hands within his own. The boy whined and another batch of tears escaped from the rush of pain. “Please. My boy. My small babe. I-I didn't...”

 

The man placed his quivering lips upon the hurt flesh and tried not to sob along with his charge. It was a horrid thing he'd done. He'd lashed out like the animal he'd been accused of being and now his Little Boy had paid. With every achingly gentle kiss he peppered on his hands, Ray's body worked even harder to heal the burns. The hushed sobs died down and soon Ryan was rubbing his stubbled cheeks over perfectly smooth skin. He was heartsick at the thought of hurting his boy and now he'd nearly scarred him. He muttered apologies into those knuckles and kissed his guilt into small, flaky-polished fingernails.

 

Ray slid his hands out of the larger paws of his guardian's and cupped his large jaw, tilting his mournful face up for a chaste kiss. Ryan whined pathetically but another kiss silenced him.

 

“Take us somewhere safe, Daddy.”

 

~*~

 

Dan got himself into the back storage closet of a half-destroyed shop and hunkered down. He dug through his bag and was thankful for the syringe of ADAM he'd taken off a Splicer. He went to the sink and the mirror still hanging there showed off an ugly, hand-shaped burn across his mug. He wasn't sure this was going to work but the pain was getting to him and he had to try something. The plunger was pushed and the red drug puddled in his cupped palm.

 

_Bugger it all._

 

Dan rubbed his slickened palm over his feet and grunted as the wave of agony that crashed into him. He repeated this until the syringe was empty and he the pain turned into a steady throb, then just a sizzle. He rubbed it in and it felt like his face was _absorbing_ it. He took great, shuddering breaths and worked through the last of the stabs.

 

When he lifted his head up, his jaw dropped in disbelief.

 

The burn was completely gone.

 

If ADAM, the miracle drug, did this then what had resided inside that young boy?

 

~*~

 

Ryan carefully picked him up and took him to the nearest hall he'd recently cleared. He climbed up to a high lounge that was only accessible by a broken elevator. He sat Ray down on one of the cushy footstool and dropped down in supplication, thumbs stroking over the boy's covered knees. He felt like the lowest of the low, pure scum.

 

“Sorry,” Ryan rasped. He dropped his head in the boy's lap and fought off another round of tears. He didn't want to show such weakness in front of his charge but his gut was wrapped up in knots and he could barely take a full breath. He'd never hurt Ray before and this was unforgivable. Kind, soft hands rubbed through his hair and across the back of his neck. It was more than he deserved.

  
“Don't be upset, Daddy,” Ray begged.

 

“You...deserve better,” Ryan confessed. “ 'M too big. Too rough. M-Monster.”

 

Ray frowned. “No, Daddy.”

 

“Yes!” Ryan shot up and scowled at the boy. “I hurt you! Should never... _never_ hurt you. Protect, l-like human did.” His expression went slack as he raised a hand to run it over his charge's cheek. “Protect you from this place.”

 

Ray blanketed the hand. “You think I want him?”

 

“Healthy human, _normal_ ,” Ryan bitterly hissed over the word. “Won't burn you.”

 

Ray pushed he bigger man back and used the confusion to slide down into his lap, thighs spreading wide to fit properly. Ryan shook his head, whining in the back of his throat in protest, but he wouldn't be deterred on this. “I don't want to hear this.”

 

“Truth,” Ryan lamented, turning his head away.

 

“Look at me.” Ray took his chin and forced it back. The man slowly raised his eyes and they were full of such sorrow that it made the boy's chest ache. “You're not a monster. You were protecting me. I know it's hard for you to control some things. I shouldn't have tried to grab at you. It's _my_ fault.”

 

Ryan shook his head. “No.”

 

“ _Yes_ ,” the boy insisted. Seeing his Daddy's pained expression, he scrunched up his nose and tried to think of what could get through to him. He knew Ryan well, he knew how his mind worked, and if the man's mind was set then all the words in the world would only bounce off his solid exterior. Touch was the language they'd always been most comfortable in.

 

Ray pressed a kiss to his guardian's protesting mouth and he didn't let himself be shaken off. He wound his arms tight around the man's neck and refused to let go. Ryan gradually quieted down and the boy's hands started to roam, tracing wide shoulder and letting his fingertips trail along the warm plate across his chest. Ryan refused to touch him but he ate hungrily at his lips, still flushed and whimpering. It felt like he was giving his guardian a gift.

 

“Do you think I want to run off with some human boy?” Ray pecked kisses along Ryan's jaw, lips scraping across his beard with an enjoyable roughness. He stroked over those large thighs and squeezed to feel the bulging muscle. “That I would ever want anyone half as much as I want you, my Daddy, right here with me?”

 

Ryan tried to say something but the boy pushed a thumb across his mouth.

 

“Even if you're not fully human, you've got a good heart,” Ray hushed. “They took a lot of things from you, Ryan. They tried to break you apart but you held on to all the important pieces. You're not nearly the monster they tried to make you to be. None of us are.” He started working on Ryan's belt and his agile fingers snagged along the buttons to his pants. “I wish you could see how much you mean to me.”

 

Ryan raised a hand so carefully and touched the back of the boy's head. “My Ray. My everything.”

 

“You're my everything too,” Ray swore. He stood up and rustled under his clothes until his fingers caught on his panties. He wiggled them down his legs and tossed them aside before plopping back down into his Daddy's lap. Ryan was gaping rather comically and the boy couldn't help but bump their foreheads, noses brushing just slightly. He took the man's wrists and lead those great hands up under the hem of his skirt to lay across smooth, bare thighs. “You're so gentle with me. No monster would touch me this way.”

 

Ryan cooed at the feeling of his boy's soft flesh and ducked his head into the thin chest, rubbing his cheek against the blouse and nuzzling him affectionately. He gasped as his boy worked open his pants and fished inside until they circled around his cock. Ryan's hips rocked up though he was whispering 'no' over and over. He didn't deserve to share such pleasure with his sweet boy. He'd been such a brute today, a true bastard.

 

“ 'M poison,” Ryan fought through hitches of pleasure from his boy's insistent touch. “Ruin you. I'll only...Ray, no...hurt.”

 

“You will never hurt me.” Ray took the slim vial of slick out of his guardian's pocket and poured it over his hand. They had made love this morning and he could still feel the openness between his cheeks. If he couldn't convince Ryan with his mouth then there was another persuasive warmth he possessed that he could share. He stroked over his guardian's thick cock and smiled at the shine it left on the hard flesh. Ryan's needy whimpering only made him hotter, more determined.

 

“Shouldn't. Don't deserve it.”

 

“You deserve the best, Ryan. And this is the best I have to offer.” Ray braced his hands on the man's shoulders and raised up, kissing him soundly. “Guide me, Daddy.”

  
“Shouldn't,” Ryan repeated with a more breathless voice. Moving achingly slow and fighting between his mindset and his boy's demand, he rucked up the skirt and guiding the slight waist down into his lap. Their eyes met and he was lost in the glow of Ray's eyes, sucked into their depths until he could see the doey hazel of their true color. A tender smile was given to him by that shapely mouth and his heart swelled so much eh thought it would burst. The fat head of his cock caught on the tiny, slick rim and he gave a broken gasp. But Ray was so composed as he slid down the length of his lustful flesh, the boy's lip caught between his teeth as color bloomed high on his cheeks. Raven lashes fluttered like a couple of butterflies and he was instantly mesmerized.

 

“Please,” Ryan grunted, overwhelmed by the easy acceptance of his boy's body. He was swallowed right up with only a lovely moan that was more breath than sound. It was an experience he didn't think he had a right to have but he was more than grateful to have it so easily. Ray clenched tight around him and he keened through his teeth. “Beautiful boy.”

 

“You're so sweet to me.” Ray rocked slowly on the man's lap to get used to the stretch of his girth, the weight of his cock against his walls. “You've never been anything but _sweet_ and I want you so much.”

 

“Love you,” Ryan declared, squeezing those hips to feel the slight yield of flesh. His heart lurched and his cock twitched deep inside the small body. He meant the words with all that he was and the way his boy beamed at him.

 

“I love you too, Daddy,” Ray assured him, rising up and whining when he felt the drag of his guardian's cock inside him. Ryan's brows furrowed up when he saw the strain on his boy's face. He curved his fingers around the back of those lean thighs and cupped them, supporting them without almost any effort. Ray weighed nothing at all and it only made him feel worse for having possession of such a delicate creature. The boy's hands were healed but the protective instincts hadn't faltered, not even a little. He kept Ray close and moved the boy in gentle glides, eyes running over his face and fingertips attuned to his pulse and pull of muscle to make sure the other was enjoying this. He didn't want to hurt him again in any way. He helped him along, rim clinging to the base of his cock and hugging it tight all the way up until it kissed the head before they came together all over again.

 

Ray kissed him so fiercely that he dropped the boy down _hard_ and they both moaned into it. Ryan could feel the other clenching down on the base of his cock and the boy's sweet spot was raked over firmly enough to send flashes of heat through his form.

 

“You fill me up so well,” Ray purred against his lips. “But stop letting those worries cloud you up. I'm right here, and I'm yours. Focus on _me_.”

 

“Make you feel good, want to...want to prove I'm...” Ryan's voice crackled out and he frowned, butting his mouth under the boy's jaw.

  
Ray made a soft hushing sound in his ear before he kissed right below it. “It's alright, Rye. We're alright.”

 

Ryan cradled the boy's cheeks and started to move him in languid, deep strokes. They kept brushing into kisses, tongues meeting in a wet guide only briefly like a tease. While Ryan's hands kept them driving together, Ray's were roaming everywhere they could reach. He carded through the sweep of blonde hair, over his covered chest, and scratched through the beard he loved so much. He remembered how Gavin's wicked tongue had enticed such lust inside him and he felt the urge to express his thoughts in the same manner. It was wanton and maybe shameful, but he wanted to.

 

“I...I like how this feels between my thighs,” Ray admitted with only a beat of hesitation. Ryan's surprised look fueled him and he rubbed his thumb through the short bristles. He couldn't say that it felt like a real _man_ eating him out when his tongue was buried deep in his hole and he had the beard scratching rawly at his inner thighs. “I like a lot of things you do to me.”

 

Ray went breathless as his guardian's deep thrusts angled up just right to drive up his pleasure to a dizzying level. It loosened his tongue.

 

“I like...how well you stretch me, how well we fit together,” Ray began to babble. “I-I like that you can't keep your mouth off me no matter where we are, and that you make me spill all over myself at least twice when we fall into bed.”

 

Though he felt overheated and full of his Daddy's cock, his kiss was gentle when he pressed it to Ryan's wet mouth. “But I _love_ how you smile at me when we wake up together and how you leave me notes even though I know you'll never leave me. I love that you'll do anything to protect me and that you don't look twice at Michael even when I do and that you have such a big heart...and you always treat me _right_.”

 

Ray whimpered out the last word as his Daddy dug his teeth into his throat and bit down, marking him in such a primal way on his pulse point. He felt it all the way down to his heart and went still before he started bouncing even harder on Ryan's lap to chase the pressure building between them. When the abused flesh was released they met in a sloppy kiss and strained toward each other, hips striving with renewed purpose and blunt nails leaving faint red streaks across skin only to have them disappear after seconds of burn.

 

“I just love you, Ryan,” Ray hiccuped, eyes clenched shut as the sensitive spot inside of him was abused with each sure thrust. “Love you so much. Every – _ah_ – every time you call yourself a monster it hurts me so much. Monsters don't love me like you do.”

 

“Protect you from the monsters.” Ryan panted the pledge across his mouth.

 

Ray's heart soared and he giggled as he rubbed their noses together. “Daddy!”

 

While they got lost in each other's eyes, their bodies still strained for a completion they desired on a physical level. Ryan's usual stamina unraveled the moment he heard his boy's happy squeal of completion and the splash of cream up the line of his tummy. Ryan slipped his tongue between those joyful lips and drank down the rest of the sounds, holding the boy's form tight against him before he flooded the tight hole with sterile seed.

 

“ _Oh_ ,” Ray puffed out all high-pitched and breathy as he wrapped his arms around his Daddy's neck, hooking his chin over his shoulder. Ryan hugged him back and moans of satisfaction poured into the boy's ear, that voice rough and misused but everything he wanted.

 

“My small babe,” Ryan husked. “My Little Boy.”

 

“Daddy,” Ray sighed, eyes falling closed. “I'm ready for dream-time now, Daddy. Can we go home?”

 

 


	12. It's Not So Simple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan stumbles upon a little singer who holds the same secret as Ray. Can he find a way out, or will he fall under the boy's spell?

_(wonderful Little Brother Michael art thanks to the fantastic[spacegrump](http://spacegrump.tumblr.com/), I squealed so hard)_

 

**Michael's performance based off[this ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_S4ToLRsws)because this is my fic and I am shamelessly in love with starlet!Michael (the original video got its music changed so this isn't as high quality sorry).**

 

* * *

 

 

Ryan loyally took his exhausted Little Brother back to the vent that fed straight into their little bedroom. Ray paused mid-climb and got back on the floor. “Daddy? Should we tell Geoff about the human?”

 

Ryan patted his head. “I will.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dan backtracked hard until he found himself near [Atlantic Express Depot](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Atlantic_Express_\(Level) where there was a train system that worked with a few thrown breakers. He put the flaming giant man behind him and rode to the next station, marveling all the while at ocean view that whizzed past the windows. He arrived at a platform that had some food, some tokens for the half broken machines, old graffitti, Splicers, and some place called “Ryan Amusements”.

 

Dan put the thought of the little boy out of his head and put his focus back towards getting into Fontaine Futuristics. With the new knowledge of the such giants like the one he'd seen with Ray, Dan made to sure to do what he could to keep his... _humanity_ , as it was. He avoided the Splicers that he could and those he couldn't duck earned quick deaths. One of these acts included cutting down a security guard that had been hung by his own belt. While laying the body down on the floor and saying a quick prayer over the limp chest, he noticed the key ring on his belt with a security card attached to it. After looking it over it appeared to be pretty high level. Electricity seemed to be running well through the city in most places and if may come in handy trying to move through. With an apology, he took it and left.

 

He learned a lot going through the half-ruined park about this city, “Rapture”, and it's artisan way of life. A place for the oppressed to become independent, an escape from the rough world after the war. But there wasn't a lot of truth within those displays and audio recordings. The exaggerated displays were something he should of thought to read in a satiric play or a science fiction movie. He was horrified by the pure falsity of the info and the certainty of which it had been presented. By the time he left the 'ride', he was ready to heave what little food he'd eaten.

 

This city was a Hellpit created out of fear, greed, and pride. He would be glad to turn his back to it. The whole place was sapping the warmth from his heart. He managed to ignore it but every time he stopped to eat or drink he could feel the impending loneliness – the loss of true human contact. When he caught an hour or two to nap he felt it even more strongly. It crept up on him when he tried to calm his mind. Isolation had icy fingers and they found their home through the crevices of his mind.

 

Then came the music. It was different from the scratchy records or the faint murmurs of the few overhead speakers. This place seemed to be full of broken melodies and garbled hums but this music was clear. It was a recording but there was something over the vocalist – a real voice layering over it in a different pitch. His heart ached at the realness of it and he started toward the sound without a thought to wear it was leading him.

 

Dan hit a wall. Literally. _El Dorado Lounge_ , the yellow-lit sign above the door read. It was sealed shut. Dan felt along the metal door in hopes to activate it the way the other doors seemed to do but with no luck. He laid his palms along the warming steel and rested his forehead against it, eyes falling closed so he could truly savor what was pouring out from the cracks. Someone was in there. Splicer's couldn't sing, certainly not like this. He didn't who it was in there, he wanted to touch them – nothing horrible, just maybe the back of their hand or their shoulder. He wanted to feel that intimacy, skin to skin, just for a few moments. It had been a week in this disgusting city and he would give anything to see a friendly face.

 

There was a card slot beside the door and he put the pieces together. The keycard was high security, after all. He pulled it out and ran it through the pad, and there was a pause before it blipped green. It was a small mercy when the door slid up with barely more than a whir. Music hit him full blast and he let himself be swallowed up in it. He walked on soft feet past the threshold and the door closed behind him. The room was long and hooked to the right, a large bar hiding the second part of the room from him. He kept silent and moved forward, words drifting over him. The voice, the breathy husk of a lounge singer, only caught on a few words at a time like they didn't know them all.

 

_'...I was an angel, living in the garden of evil...scared, doing anything...shining like a fiery beacon...'_

 

Dan crept up around the bar and looked as slyly as he could around the beam.

 

If he hadn't already been fooled by Ray, he wouldn't have believed the lovely creature on the slight stage to be a boy. He was wrapped tight in a short dress, white with distinctive black lines and cut off sleeves to show off the pale lines of his arm. Dark stockings covered long legs and clunky, dark leather boots swallowed small ankles. Maybe this boy was older than Ray but not much at all. This one looked more comfortable in himself, eyes closed and body swaying to the music that blasted out of a record player sat on a dry spot on the stage. There was a crack in the ceiling that allowed a thin sheet of water to spill, hiding the boy behind a shimmering veil.

 

Whoever he was, he was an exquisite thing. He had a feathery boa in his hands and he was playing with it more than wearing it, giggling over the lyrics as he rubbed his face in the accessory. It was strange to see innocent happiness among such ruin. There wasn't a traditional spotlight but the glow from the oceanic windows cast a white light upon him. A microphone was in front of him though the chord had long been chewed through but the way the boy's red-polished fingers laid upon it was positively worshipful. He was praying into the broken mic, crooning into it as if there was a hundred people watching him. The boa fell into the crook of his arms and he swayed with the heavy thump of the drum beat, mirth bleeding away for a sultry smirk and a glowing, catty stare at an invisible audience.

 

Dan leaned against the wood and sighed as the boy's loud humming filled the room, the woman's voice from the record player twisting around the sound and easily threading into his own as he began to sing again.

 

_'Fame, liquor, love...give it to me slowly.'_

  
Hands slid down the length of the mic to touch his hips in a chaste tease.

 

_'Put your hands on my waist, do it softly...'  
_

  
Those eyes closed and his ghostly audience swooned, a hundred hearts falling in love.

 

_'Me and God, we don't get along so now I sing...'_

 

The boy's persona fell away in a hail of giggles. He covered his face like he was embarrassed and ducked his head away from the mic. This was a child coming out of play, a little boy slipping out of a forged womanly persona. The lounge singer persona faded in a puff of smoke and there was just a sweet teenager left. The boa was being played with again, feathers clinging to him as he slid it over his shoulders and along his arms. It looked a little dirty but nothing was finer when it was being treated so lovingly. He had to talk to him, to stand next to him, to hear someone with reason speak.

 

“Excuse me?” Dan called lightly.

 

The boy went stalk-still and familiar, glowing eyes stared wide at him. There was a tense moment like prey in face of a predator, the boa falling to the floor, and then the boy bolted out behind the curtain. Dan cursed softly before he ran after him, shielding himself poorly from the water before hitting the stage. When he swept back the curtain he had to give pause. It was nearly pitch black and backstage was full of props, stacked chairs, and an assortment of gear he wasn't familiar with. The glow of the boy's eyes was his only source of light and he followed it with a haphazard stagger.

 

“Come back!” Dan pleaded, elbows and knees banging against tables and planks as he rushed forward. “Wait, please! I just want to talk. I'm not going to hurt you!”

 

A door slid open and there was a light from the hall before it closed, enveloping him in darkness once more as the boy's silhouette rushed out. Dan hurried after him and nearly smacked into the door in his impatience. It came open much too slow in his opinion and when it did it revealed a too-bright little room. It was wrapped in clear glass walls with cushioned seats that followed the curve of the room. It seemed to be a waiting area of some sort and the door leading out of it was fizzling dangerously with electricity. One of those vents was against the far wall and the boy was probably long gone.

 

“Shit,” Dan puffed as he plopped down on the long, couch-like seat. A defeated slump took over him and he lulled his head back. It felt like it weighed three times the usual and his stomach was hollowed out in disappointment. He tossed an arm over his eyes and let out a few more frustrated huffs. He was exhausted and starving and constantly thirsty and – _God damn it_ – he was lonely.

 

Sinking into those feelings, Dan drifted. It couldn't have been long but he surfaced when he felt another presence in the room. He slowly lowered his arm with the intention of reaching for the pistol on the hip or the few guns in his bag, but as he opened his eyes he found another pair staring right at him. They were big, awed, and _glowing_. Dan tried his best to swallow his surprised yelp and the scream that wanted to follow it.

 

The boy had his hands braced on the cushion on either side of his head and his face was hovering close to his own, one boot braced on the couch and the other on the floor. He was a quiet, agile little thing.

 

Dan forced a smile. “H-Hello?”

 

The boy's nose dipped down to the fluttering pulse of the man he inhaled deeply. “Barely any ADAM in you, not even enough to harvest. Not an angel, no a Splicer, so plain. Skin's normal, too small to be a Big Daddy. Not even a special one.” The words were just a mumble as he continued to look Dan over like _he_ was the strange one here.

 

When the boy picked his head up his expression was full of awe. This close, Dan could see the subtle make up on the cute face and he wondered what a little boy was doing with mascara. “Human. You're _human_.”

 

“Aye, I am. I'm Dan.” Dan kept his voice quiet so as not to spook the boy again, like he had with Ray. “Who are you?”

 

“I'm Michael,” the boy breathed, breath picking up. “And you're _fantastic_.”

 

Dan's gasp was muffled as this boy, 'Michael', crawled properly into his lap and straddled him with great grace. Smooth, pink lips slanted across his own in a sure kiss. The man stared in disbelief and he tried to scramble up the back of the couch but the boy followed him, thighs clamping hard on his hips as started wrapping his arms around the man's shoulders.

 

“Your skin's so cool,” Michael longingly cooed, clinging and making eyes at him. Dan tried to laugh it off and put his hands over the boy's but he stopped when he felt how hot his skin was. He was caught in another kiss and his brows furrowed up in confusion. He kept squirming and tried to push the eager fingers away but Michael was insistent.

 

“Wait, Michael, I just want to talk,” Dan blathered uselessly as more sweet kisses rained over his cheeks.

 

“My Daddy doesn't let me talk to strangers,” Michael tisked.

 

Those words shouldn't have made him hot. He didn't know what the boy meant but he could recall Ray saying the word 'daddy' when yelling that giant of a man. “And he'd be okay with you, uh, crawling all over some bloke?”

 

Michael's casual hum wasn't exactly reassuring. Teeth nipped at a sensitive spot on Dan's neck and the man's lashes swept low, mouth parting slightly as he sunk back against the couch. The boy's eager hands were pawing at his chest to feel the muscle there, fingers snagging on his suspenders and teasing at the buttons of his shirt. He shook his head to clear the creeping fog and put his hands on Michael's shoulders to push him back.

 

“Stop that, now,” Dan demanded.

 

Michael's smile was full of mischief and he ran his own hands over his stockinged thighs, thumbs hooking in the dress to pull it up further. Dan's eyes were drawn to the crux of those plush thighs and he swallowed thickly when he saw the frill and silk of panties. His tongue was suddenly dry and useless in his mouth and he stared like a true pervert at the young teen. It was a smart distraction on the boy's part and he managed to unclip both suspenders from Dan's pants. The human jolted back into awareness when the elastic went limp across his chest.

 

“Michael, stop-!”

 

Michael's whine smothered his words and he got another, needier kiss. “I can't help it.” The words were babbled against his lips like he couldn't stand to move away. “You're so refreshing and new.”

 

Dan tried to stop him but the boy worked open his fly and his resolve was growing weaker. It had been a long time since he'd been touched like this, even longer since he'd been _desired_. Michael's eagerness was intoxicating. The boy looked young but his increasingly lustful kisses were all too adult. Dan's hands slowly settled on the other's waist and he truly was radiating heat much more than a normal human would be.

 

“You're a _real_ human and I haven't seen one in years and you taste so _clean_ ,” Michael panted lightly between harsh kisses. He kept groping at the man's shoulders and lean waist, fingertips digging into the slight softness of his chest. “And I know you'll die soon and I'll never get this chance again, so I want to taste _everything_.”

 

Though Dan could feel his underwear getting uncomfortably tight at the proposition, he frowned. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, love, but I'm been doing well on my own so far.”

 

“You poor fragile human. You're too cold blooded to last here.” Michael pouted, but the petulant expression didn't stay long before it broke into a grin. “But I know somewhere you're warm.”

 

Dan stuttered out a protest but his fingers were weak. When the boy palmed his growing hardness he dissolved into a thready moan.

 

“I have to. Please, human, _Dan_ , let me?”

 

Dan wished he was a stronger man but the mess his life had become had pushed him into survival mode, and that came with a strong _fuck it_ notion that hadn't driven him wrong yet. He grabbed Michael by the front of the dress and dragged him into a fiery kiss that had them both moaning. He supped from those plump lips and fed the heat building up inside him. The boy made cute little happy noises as his mouth was nipped to tenderize it into opening.

 

Dan's tongue felt cool twined with his own and it had him sighing for more.

 

They broke apart with half-lidded eyes and didn't look away even as Michael slid out of his lap and onto the floor. The boy wet his swelling lips and his fingers slipped into the slit of the man's exposed underwear, their breaths hitching in unison as he wrapped his hand around the waiting column of flesh.

 

“Oh, wow.” The boy eased the out the waiting cock with curious eyes and eager fingers. “You're bigger than my boys, but smaller than my Daddy.”

 

“Michael?” Dan touched the boy's fluffy curls and caught his attention. “You have a Daddy?”

 

He nodded quickly.

 

“Is he a big guy? Kinda' scary?”

 

Another nod.

 

“We shouldn't do this.” But Dan's breathlessness betrayed him. He throbbed in the boy's incredibly soft hand and he wanted this. Damn him to Hell, but he was already there. Michael was right – he wouldn't last long here. He should take the offered pleasure where he could get it but the whole idea of this, the situation, made him sick. Promised bliss was so close and winning out over the churn of bile. “Are you sure you want this?”

 

“Silly human,” Michael giggled with a smile that showed off the dimples of his freckled cheeks. “You think you can make me do stuff? How _adorable_.”

 

Dan felt a thrill go down his spine and he knew if the light in those eyes would flicker out there would true darkness hiding in their depths.

  
“Just be quiet and sit there, human.” Michael shifted up on his knees so he could hover over the flushed tip of the man's cock. “I want to remember this.”

 

Michael kissed the head and sighed at the smoothness of it. He wet his lips and gathered saliva over his tongue so that when he went back it was all slick. He'd had practice on his Daddy's cock and this was more a treat than a challenge. This wouldn't be so difficult. The boy closed his eyes as he slid down the first inch. The flesh wasn't nearly as hot as his Daddy's own, his blood wasn't nearly as rich with ADAM as Geoff's, so it was a pleasant warmth on his tongue. The head had a distinct rim that raked over his palate and he suckled at it as the human groaned into his fist above him. His tongue toyed with the sensitive, plump flesh and he almost didn't want to leave. Geoff’s cock had grown from his genetic treatments and what was once a curved head had broadened into something smoother that slid right inside slick boys without a bit of resistance.

 

A cockhead like this would be felt from the inside, grinding over fluttering walls as it did the grooves of Michael's mouth. He great heated at the thought but didn't dare palm himself. His Daddy would be mad enough when he told him, he didn't need to make it worse. Instead he held the human's length still and let the other lay on his pale thigh below the line of his underwear. The dark hair tickled his palm and he rubbed at it. He bobbed slowly, lapping wetly at the hard flesh each time to make the movements smoother. Dan was trying to bite back his sounds and Michael felt a burst of indignation. He pursed his lips and sucked harder on each bob down, tonguing the underside in the way Gavin liked.

 

The human's hips came off the couch and his frail fingers clawed at the couch. Michael grinned around his mouthful and continued the slow pace, going down as far as he could and swallowing to give him some nice tightness before pulling off with his lips pressed as hard into the sensitive flesh as he would dare. He licked at the slit when he could to gather the bitter beads that formed there. He smeared them across his tongue with relish.

 

It was so different from Geoff. Smaller, cooler, and that fat rim at the head caught on the back of his tongue with each thrust. He'd always wanted to touch a human. He hadn't seen one up close since the riots and now one had fallen into his lap. He didn't want to waste this opportunity. And the poor man would be dead soon – giving him some physical pleasure wouldn't hurt anyone. Fingers laced in his hair and sudden, pure ecstasy rolled through the boy's body. He moaned around his cock and pushed into it, doubling his efforts.

 

“What a good boy you are,” Dan panted. He was barely able to keep his eyes opened as the sweet little singer sucked at him like he was his last meal. “And what a beautiful mouth. How sweet you are to me down there.” He took a great breath and carded his fingers through the curls, nails scratching affectionately at the back of his neck. “That's good, sweetheart. You're doing so well.”

 

A shiver went through the boy's body and he slipped down until his lips were snug at the base of the man's cock. _Oh Daddy, thank you, thank you so much. Use me, Daddy. Let me please you._

 

Michael's eyes popped open. Where had those thoughts come from? There was a new, burning need in his belly to please this man. It was no longer a favor but a real desire within him. It was how he felt around Ryan – not quite compelled to get his hands on him like he was with Geoff, but the need was still squirming around inside him.

 

Michael picked up a rhythm that had the human quivering like a needy girl. He slid the plump head along the top of his mouth on the way down and flicked his tongue hard on the rim with each glide, making sure his lips grazed every inch. Dan shoved his fist into his mouth and _screamed_ when Michael buried the cock deep in his throat and swallowed, making himself all wet and tight as he squeezed close to mimic another type of hole. It wasn't the content little mouthful he got with his boys and it wasn't near the lovely stretch his Daddy gave him. But the satisfaction was the same. There was a pulse under the flat of his tongue and he got a giddy thrill when he realized he wasn't long from tasting pure human seed. The novelty of it had always been appealing and now it was really happening. He pried the human's hand off the couch and guided it into his hair with a hum of encouragement.

 

“I – I didn't want to hurt you,” Dan faltered.

 

Michael looked up at the human and hummed again much more softly when he saw the color in his cheeks and the shine of his dark eyes. The man was a handsome mess with his heaving chest and bitten lips parted to huff out his struggling breath. He was ruined but he looked so pleased, close to the edge that would bring release.

 

Dan wasn't sure what he'd been expecting with the saucy boy's offer but this exceeded anything he could've imagined. Not even the curvy German girls during the war who were so eager to hear his accent and bounce on his cock had been as good as the young boy was on his knees. Michael was so genuinely wanton and it showed in the way he worked between his thighs. He'd been lost from the start. The obscene warmth, the wetness, the way that agile tongue seemed to be everywhere at once – he'd fallen head first into bliss. He'd tried to keep quiet but it was impossible under such reverent treatment. When the boy urged his hand into his curls, he got the message but he wasn't sure if he wanted to let go like that. There was a heavy coil of tension in his gut and it was knotting at the muscles of his thighs and up into his chest to make his lungs work twice as hard for half as much air.

 

He looked down at the boy and somehow blushed darker when he was shot a wink, that clever little tongue flicking at the sensitive tip of his cock. Dan hissed through his teeth and tightened his grip. “You little brat. You...you seductress. Does Hellfire come from between those lips?”

 

Michael popped off and dabbed his lips along the wet tip with a teasing stare through the fan of his lashes. “No fire, just cream.”

 

Dan couldn't take another moment of the boy's enticement. He drove himself back up through the blossom of his mouth and it felt like slipping into something much more familiar. The boy whined happily around the hard flesh and picked up his rhythm again but at the human's pace. Dan felt blessed to be given such freedom to chase his own pleasure.

 

“So sweet to me, Michael,” Dan huffed mostly to himself, eyes falling closed to shut out the city around him. It was all pressure and heat and constant, needy suckling. All the sensations swallowed him up and he staggered eagerly to the edge of the end. Still trying to be as gentle as possible, Dan thrust up hard a handful of times before he pushed the boy's head down to the root. Michael took it gracefully, sealing his lips and swallowed obediently, encouraging him to spill.

 

Dan felt tight and then he was a pure pile of melted bone and boiling blood. The flex of the boy's throat was perfect as he came in thick streams down it. He groaned lowly and slumped into the couch as Michael sucked him clean, tongue licking at the spongy tip to get every drop. There was thirsty in this boy and after some insistent licking, Dan felt drained. He pet through those unquitely colored curls and murmured how grateful he was with a loose tongue, words slurring slightly from the intoxicating buzz of pleasure.

 

“Small boy, I don't know how to thank you. Saints and martyrs be damned, that was glorious.” His head fell back against the cushion. He felt the boy slide off his softening cock and those curls released his fingers. His hand fell limply to his thigh as he tried to catch his breath but when the touch didn't return he opened his eyes.

 

Michael was gone.

 

Dan sat up and quickly tucked himself away, buttoning back up his jeans and hooking his suspenders with a string of muttered curses. The little siren – he hadn’t gotten the chance to ask him where other bathyspheres were, or other people for that matter. Chasing him down would prove fruitless, he knew it. And if Michael had a guardian anything like Ray's own, he didn't want to bother the lad.

 

Guilt swamped his chest. Not only had he taken advantage of such a young, obviously confused boy but it also felt like he'd done something unforgivable. It felt making out with that loose broad Bessie back in school while his unknowing girlfriend had been over the hill cheering on their football team – it felt like betrayal. He didn't have a sweetheart waiting back home (not that he was sure he'd ever truly see her again), but maybe it was more that he knew Michael had a 'Daddy' waiting for him somewhere. He shouldn't have given in, he should have fought the boy harder. What kind of man could he call himself for giving in to a boy who'd been tainted by this place?

 

Dan scrubbed a hand over his face with a disgusted groan. “I'm such a tosser.”

 

~*~

 

Geoff didn’t expect Ryan to show up on his patrol and it sent off all kind of alarm bells in his head. He frowned when he saw his friend’s puzzled expression. “What’s wrong, buddy?”

 

“Human.”

 

Geoff’s eyebrows shot up into his messy hairline. “What?”

 

“There’s…” Ryan chomped down on his lower lip. “Human. I saw him. Near Ray. He got away.”

 

“So you’re telling me there’s some man running around in Rapture?” Geoff reiterated skeptically. “Ryan, are you _sure_ you saw a human? I’ll admit there’s one now and then, some of the craftier ones, but I haven’t seen a pure human out in the open for at least three years. I don’t think one could’ve survived down here this long. And the bathyspheres can’t be operated by your everyday Joe. So just think about it a second and tell me what you _really_ saw?”

 

Ryan’s mouth open and closed a few times like a landed fish before he pursed his lips and looked away. He hated to admit that reality slipped away from him when he was by himself but it happened more than he could deny. Ray and Geoff were his rocks, and now his friend’s two boys as well. He’d been separated from Ray for quite a while before he’d seen the alleged human. He’d felt so real under his hand and he prayed his delusions were not so vivid as the experience he’d gone through. Geoff’s cold logic planted deep seeds of doubt and he felt the first thrum of a headache in the back of his skull.

 

“Ray saw too,” Ryan managed through grit teeth.

 

Geoff still looked skeptical. “Alright, big guy, I’m not saying you didn’t see him. But you should talk to Ray and make sure he saw the same thing. I don’t want you to get confused.”

 

Ryan’s frustrated grunt said he was already there. _He was real. He had to be._

 

~*~

 

Smoke curled in thick tendrils up to the ceiling. Lips pursed to blow out rings that collapsed on themselves above his head. Michael had stretched himself out on the couch by the window an hour ago and he'd been chain smoking ever since, filter leaving a red mark between his fingers and mouth coated in cherry ash. His face was wiped clean of makeup and his curls were still unkempt from the human's petting fingers. Upon returning to his room he'd all but ripped the beautiful clothes from his body and threw them in the corner, balled up and wrinkled. He'd gone to wash his mouth clean but he couldn't bring himself to do it, he didn't want to rinse away the rare occurrence. A wretched sob had escaped him before he'd dug through his drawers for normal clothes. A plaid button up and some loose boxers hid his body now, shielding himself from the accusations inside his own head.

 

_Whore. Floozy. Let anyone touch you for a kind word. He should've paid you._

 

Michael hot-boxed the next cigarette. When he got to the last in the box his hands were threatening to shake as he loaded it into the elegant filter. Booze, nicotine, chocolate...none of it could hurt him, they couldn't even touch him. Not like ADAM.

 

The front door rattled as locks gave way and then it opened, his guardian walking inside to the smoke filled room. Geoff's nose wrinkled up and his eyes shot to the boy on the couch. “Michael?”

 

“Geoff.” The airness of his usual tone had gone flat and his heart was heavy under his Daddy's gaze. Geoff hurried over to the couch and knelt beside it, worry growing when his boy didn't even react. He hadn't seen Michael this downtrodden in such a long time and it was only when his boy had woken up from nightmares of recovered memories, moping until he forgot them under a hot rush of ADAM. Michael had never told told him exactly what those memories entailed and after a while they faded until even his boy didn't know why he was upset.

 

But this was something different. Michael never smoked in front of him, and he rarely wore clothes as plain as this. His boy was always his happiest dressed up and to see him loafing like this was upsetting. He took the cigarette and the holder and stubbed it out in the glass ashtray on the floor. The container was littered with what looked like a whole pack. “Baby boy, look at you. What's wrong?”

 

“I did something bad,” Michael husked, throat raw but already healing itself from all the cigarette smoke.

  
Geoff brushed back a few stray curls. “Michael, baby, there's nothing you could do that would be bad. Did you and Gavin have a fight? Were you two bickering about Ray again?”

  
Michael felt his throat closing up. The last fight he and his best friend had gotten into had been about who got to go stay with Ray in the Market. Michael hated going, he'd considered it filthy, and had argued that Ray should stay with him for a few days if Gavin was so keen to go stay in some hovel. With two of the three lads truly imprinted on their Big Daddies, they'd been bouncing Gavin around between them all like a beach ball. It was starting to put a strain on them all. Without a third Daddy to give it some balance, affection was starting to run thin, especially with the two boys sharing Geoff. Ray was letting Ryan pick up some of the slack, the couple smothering Gavin in adoration, but it was never enough.

 

Maybe that was why he'd so willing to please Dan. Maybe he was desperate for more love.

 

Michael teared up. _What kind of little monster am I?_

 

Geoff saw the way his boy's glowing eyes filmed over. “Baby?”

 

“There was a man, a human.”

  
The protector sighed. “Not you too.”

 

“There was one,” Michael swore as he sat up and made himself look right into his Daddy's impossible blue eyes. “And I met him. He caught my playing around in the Lounge and I let him chase me.” Geoff's hand fell to his thigh and his fingers dug in, but he wasn't deterred. “I got him in one of the back rooms.”

 

“Michael-”

 

“I got on my knees for him.” The words came out tight and he thought he was going to sob but he refused to let himself cry yet. “I let him have my mouth. A-And I liked it. I fucking _liked it_. I don't know what happened, but I've always wanted to touch a human like that and then I was just _burning_ for him. I didn't touch myself, and his hands didn't go up my skirt. I ran away right after!”

 

Michael dropped his chin to his chest and his shoulders shook but no tears fell. He hated how childish he sounded but it was all the truth. He watched Geoff's hand clenched into a fist on his leg but it unfurled not long after it formed. His thigh was rubbed soothingly before those strong, familiar fingers came up and tucked under his chin to raise his head. There must have been remorse written all across his face because Geoff's scowl softened into a disappointed frown.

 

“Are you _sure_ it was human?” Geoff needled.

 

“I know he was,” Michael promised. “I can tell the difference. I wouldn't touch a Splicer, Geoff.”

 

He looked into his boy's sweet face for a few moments and tried to drum up some rage or disgust, but it shorted out. He heaved a great sigh and his wide shoulders slumped. “I can't even be angry with you. It's just not in me.”

 

Michael's heart dropped hard into his belly. He hated the disappointment that bled into every syllable. The last thing he wanted to do was upset his Daddy and it made sour bile rise into the back of his throat.

 

“Why?” Geoff demanded, voice thready as he tried to keep it together. He didn't want to show how badly this hurt him but it was difficult. The thought of his boy with his lips wrapped around some human's cock was sickening but he understood how Michael could be, how much he loved to please people. If this man had been kind to him, it wasn't a stretch to imagine his boy wanting to give him some _kindness_ back.

 

“Because he was a human,” Michael replied in a small voice, eyes fading only slightly. “And handsome. He wanted me, and...and...”

 

Geoff felt a swell of indignation and his hand shot up to wrap around his sweet boy's throat, fingers curling tight but not enough to hurt. It was a demand. “ _What?_ ”

  
“And he wasn't programmed to love me!” Michael barked as he shoved the man's hand away. Geoff reeled back and the words shot right to his heart, breaking it. It was an unspoken thing between them, between them all. In their years in Rapture, they had skirted around the fact that the Beta Series was bred to love and take care of Little Brothers. Geoff had never wanted to say that their love was synthetic but the fact often loomed like poisoned water under their very lives.

 

Michael tried to steel himself but he was so tired from trying to be tough all day. His mouth quivered and a single tear broke through his lashes. He held out his arms and when he spoke it was with a high, cracked voice. “Daddy!”

 

Geoff scooped the boy up and into his lap, wrapping his arms around him so he could squeeze him close. He pet through curls and down the length of his spine. Michael buried his face in his neck and tried to hide his crumpled, agonized expression but his protector could feel the anguish rolling off him like it was his own. “Baby, I don't ever want you to do that again.”

 

“Never,” Michael swore, hands fisting in Geoff's heavy shirt. “I'm so sorry, Daddy. I'll never do it again. I – I won't touch another Big Daddy. I won't even touch the boys again!” He blubbered as he pulled back to shyly look at his protector. “Just...just don't think I'm a tramp, Daddy. Don't think me fallen. I couldn't help myself. I don't know what's wrong with me.”

 

“No, no, baby boy,” Geoff hushed him gently before pressing a chaste kiss on his cheek. Michael accepted the tiny pecks with a hopeful coo. But when he felt Geoff's lips coming for his own the sound turned into a whine and he pawed at the man's broad chest.

 

“No, Daddy!” Michael turned his face away, insistent fingers catching his chin to force him back. “I haven't brushed my – ”

 

Geoff stole his lips with ardor, tongue hardly flirting before it delved inside. The depth and passion stunned him into submission and he was bent over his Daddy's arm, the man's larger body covering his own and pressing him into the couch. He curled around Geoff, wrapping his arms around his neck more securely and curling his legs around his waist, tucking himself into the muscular form. He felt safe here beneath his protector and he parted his lips and his thighs for him.

 

“You touch your Brothers however you want.” Geoff's breath flushed over his lips and he whimpered, wanting their claim back.

 

“I just want to be good for you, Daddy,” Michael gushed with yearning. “I always want to be good for you.”

 

Geoff smiled down into the boy's flushed face and rubbed their noses, heart re-mending when he heard the small giggle. “Being the way you are is good enough for me, baby doll.”

 

“Make love to me, Daddy?” Micheal beseeched with big, pleading eyes. “Make me forget all about him and remind me I'm yours?”

 

“I'll lick him right out of your mouth.”

 

* * *

 

**If you haven't seen it already, check out the Related Works for robotentacles amazing off-shoot with the boys in the future and an soft-handed analysis on gender identity. I thought it was just wonderful and emphasized the lower themes I've been trying to weave in with the porn. Also, they're a wonderful blog.**

***shamelessly begs for feedback because I am insecure pile of writer help***

**(also, look at this art by[iwatchedyoufall](http://iwatchedyoufall.tumblr.com/post/108314543526/if-he-hadnt-already-been-fooled-by-ray-he), WOW)**

 

 

 


	13. I Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don't I know you?” Dan asked in a hush whisper. “From somewhere, I think.”
> 
> “I would remember,” Gavin replied coyly.
> 
> (with fanart)

( _[Robotentacles](http://robotentacles.tumblr.com/post/108059383233) did a very pretty piece and icons for this fic and I am forever grateful_ )

 

**[Z](http://gayvinz.tumblr.com/), one of my greatest loves, wrote me a lovely Raywood scene for this fic and that is the first scene in this chapter. They deserve every bit of credit for the adorable scene and I absolutely adore everything they do. They are one of the best people I know so I hope you enjoy the fluff half as much as I did.**

 

* * *

 

 

Tiny, high-pitched squeals saturated the Market, leaking through the walls of the humble abode of a Little Brother and his Daddy. Splicers had long since given up on trying to get in, though some still wandered by and would scramble and claw for the hidden entrance, only to fail miserably. For now, though, the sharp cries were met with no audience.

 

“Daddy! Ah! D-Daddy!” The boy screamed, whole body writhing wildly on his back on their bed. Ryan hovered above him, huge form blocking him from the world, a deep chuckle rattling through his damaged vocal chords. “Daddy, oh-!”

 

Ray covered his face, legs kicking weakly as his Daddy's rough beard scraped over his sensitive belly, causing terrible tickles. Goosebumps had long since cropped up and faded but the sensation was just as intense. He could feel every bristle and it made him squeal.

 

“H-Help! Oh! Daddy, please!” Ray's voice was sharp and full of giggles and true laughter; in times like this it felt so very wonderful and joyous. “You're so mean! _Daddy_! Ryan!” There was no true objection, not even slightly. Ray's faux-protests were full of nothing but glee.

 

Ryan finally relented, sitting up slightly with a wide grin that split his face. Ray's tiny hands came up to squeeze his jaw, palms pressing in on his cheeks. “Daddy.” He cooed sweetly, true happiness soaking into his words and permeating the very air between them.

 

“Ray,” The man hummed lovingly, pushing against his boy's hands to press their lips together in a chaste, adoring kiss that quickly grew. “Beautiful.”

 

“Daddy, shush,” Ray said, wriggling in an embarrassed fashion. His face was red and he was panting from laughing so hard for so long. “You're silly.” He added, sliding his fingers through Ryan's beard and rubbing their cheeks together sweetly.

 

“My silly, sweet boy,” Ryan husked, eyes hooded as he relaxed over him, pressing their weight into the bed pleasantly. Ray sighed and gave under the weight, using the man for a big blanket. He loved having Gavin over in their room but it was nice to take a break and just spend time with his Big Daddy. There had been a question burning in him since they'd made such sweet love out in the city. “Daddy? If I ask you something...will you be honest?”

 

“Always,” Ryan sighed into his hair, eyes already closed.

 

“What does having this human around mean?”

 

There was silence and the man merely pressed kisses into his hair.

 

“Daddy?” Ray urged.

 

“Everything will be different soon,” Ryan crackled, the words expressed with a calm acceptance that scared the boy a little. Ray snuggled in deeper to his Daddy's body and brought up his legs so that every bit of him was hidden under the massive form.

 

“Ryan?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I don't like change.”

 

“Everything changes.” Ryan pet down the line of the boy's arm. “We change. Bad things turn good...good goes bad...can't stop it.”

 

Ray smiled at the sound of the man's voice. It was a good day for him even if the subject was sad. “But you'll always be here, with me?”

 

Ryan's hand drifted up to curl along his head, tucking his face in closer. “As long as I can be.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dan wasn't sure how long he'd been hiding behind the length of broken wall but his body was threatening to cramp and his palms were sweaty, breath threatening to loudly stutter in the dark of his spot. He'd ducked into this room when he heard the swarm of Splicers and the doors had securely shut behind him but that didn't mean they locked. There was no other entrance so he knew if it came down to it he could at least funnel them in. His ears were tuned for the sound of creaking hinges or hurried steps, but besides the commotion that seemed to be far down the hall there was nothing. He was painfully low on ammo, his shotgun was useless and the only full box he had left was for the pistol. He slid the handheld out of his belt and held it close, end pointed up and his own fist against his chest.

 

There was a scuffle and his heart jumped up into his throat. He knew he wouldn't last long in his condition but he had to try. He had to get past them, get out of whatever entrance they had made, because the doors hadn't opened and if they weren't muscling in that way there must have been a crack or another door he'd missed. He couldn't bring himself to look but he mentally constructed a plan – shoot first, run, _live._ Not much of a plan, but it was all he had. He mentally scrambled for the old words of his Catholic mother who used to press a pendant into his palm when he was scared.

 

 _Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio_ , Dan fumbled over the Latin in his head and he grit his teeth in frustration. _Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil._

 

Dan crossed himself briefly, wished for a rosary, and then jumped out of his hiding spot with a scowl and a raised gun. He took aim at the only creature in the room and stared down the barrel of the pistol with sharp intent, finger curling along the trigger and ready to squeeze. He was ready, he could do this, and nothing would get in his way.

 

Surprised, glowing eyes stared at him.

 

_Michael? No, not Michael._

 

This boy was much more lean and taller than Michael had been with wild, golden brown hair and mile-long legs wrapped in bronze ribbon down that led down to faux-Greek sandals. It made him look like he went on forever. His clothing was just as girly though – tiny white sleeves and a neckline that cut right across his prominent collarbones, a red ruffled skirt laying high on his thighs. He had high cheekbones and a pronounced nose, his slender form curving just slightly and squeezed tight by his clothes. He was _perfect_ and Dan found himself marveling like a school boy, tongue useless and numb behind his teeth. There was something he couldn't name stirring inside him, straining, growing too big for his skin. His heart wanted to burst out of his chest and land in the boy's hands.

 

Gavin could feel the ADAM whirring through his own veins, purring, driving his eyes to an even brighter glow. The man in front of him was without tumors, without the heavy-handed spice of ADAM, and only a bit taller than him. A young _human_. By the ocean Herself, the man was so handsome. A cut jaw and a strong brow, muscle laced into his shoulders and down his chest to fill out his clothes. Gavin dared to take a few steps closer and he was hit by the tantalizing scent of the man's musk. He was obviously sweaty from lack of a proper bath, grime on his skin and smeared across his clothes, but the boy found himself loving it. There was a richness to him, a masculine edge with the smudges of dirt just under his chin and up his forearms. The man's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the bulge of his forearms made the boy's stomach tighten.

 

They were mutually starstruck.

 

They both took a step forward and an ADAM extractor clattered to the floor, the man's pistol following next along with his bag. Dark brows furrowed up, the two of them feeling hesitation as they slowly circled each other. Two pairs of eyes roamed over the other, sizing each other up, and the human frowned lightly.

 

Gavin fluttered his fingers at the man. “Hi.”

 

“Hello.”

 

The only sound in the room was the faint click of their shoes. What would be a cautious assessment of a potential enemy became a flirtatious dance as their circled steps brought them closer together.

 

“Don't I know you?” Dan asked in a hush whisper. “From somewhere, I think.”

 

“I would remember,” Gavin replied coyly.

 

The human's eyes widened comically. “Your accent.”

 

“ _Our_ accent.” Gavin touched his lips.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

“Here.”

 

Dan's lips quirked further down. “Your lilt's a bit watered down, love.”

 

Gavin felt like a tittering bird, his very ribs shaking at the endearment.

 

“You seem so familiar,” the human insisted, confused by his own memory. Maybe he'd never seen this boy before but he didn't feel like a stranger. It was the oddest feeling. “I know you. From the surface, or a dream, another life... _something_.”

 

Gavin shook his head. “Please, Mister, I would remember.”

 

When they came close enough considered polite, Gavin was torn between a curtsy and a handshake. He fisted the edge of his ruffled skirt and dipped down. It wasn't as pretty as when Michael did it but it made the human smile. “I'm Gavin. Gavin Free.”

 

“Dan,” the man croaked nervously.

 

The boy hide his grin behind his hand. “Is that all? Simply Dan?”

 

That seemed to snap the human back into the present and he cleared his throat. “Lance Corporal Daniel Charles Gruchy.”

  
Gavin perked up. _A soldier? All the way down here?_

 

“Dan,” the boy sighed out loud, immediately biting his lip to try and keep the embarrassing girlish nature of his tone away. Dan seemed to draw in on himself for a moment before he offered his hand. It was visibly filthy, grease smeared in the knuckles and in the curve of his short nails, but Gavin found the fine bone structure and the thickness of his fingers just charming. He laid his own within the extended palm and it was taken with the tenderness of a true gentleman, the man's thumb rubbing across the back of it while he supported the bend of Gavin's fingers.

 

“I know how this might sound, but you are the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen,” Dan husked as he stared at the way their hands fit together. “I want to look at you forever.”

 

Gavin blushed hot under the praise, ADAM making his cheeks faintly glow. “You're not so bad looking yourself for a human.”

 

Dan twined their fingers together and raised them up to kiss at the boy's soft knuckles. Gavin held still and watched with welling curiosity as the human's kisses didn't stop there. They trailed up and his arm was gently turned so dry, worshipful brushes could be peppered up his pale forearm. It was a barely-there sensation but it bordered on too much. They went no higher but trailed back down all the way to his fingers. The boy's shaky exhale showed he was as besotted as the other.

 

“Forgive me,” Dan pleaded as he reluctantly released the other's hand. “I just...I don't know what's come over me.”

 

Though the contact was broken neither made the move to step away. Their breathing came noticeably harder, hearts pounding like trapped birds in the same cage. They were scared by the sudden reaction but it was too exhilarating to stop. They could've walked away but they didn't _want to_.

 

“Gavin?” Dan's voice startled them both with it's airy, needy tone. “Can – Can I kiss you?”

 

Gavin took that last step between them and the room became stuffy. Up close like this Dan could admire the delicate fan of lashes surrounding the boys glowing eyes, the small but pleasant plumpness of his mouth, the smoothness of his skin. The human had asked but it was Gavin who tilted up his head and offered his lips with all the innocence of a young girl hoping for a tiny peck of affection.

 

But this kiss was like none they had ever shared with anyone before. As eyes fell closed and head tilted, lips growing closer, the whole world seemed to slow down around them. And when they touched – time stopped. Something just _clicked_ and all of it made sense. A city bolted to the bottom of the ocean, a dangerous drug to ruin it all, the crashing plane – the stars had aligned so that they could be right here, together.

 

 _Like we always should be_ , Dan mused almost too quietly for even himself to hear. Gavin felt so small against his own, so innocent. Their mouths slotted together well enough that he didn't think twice about pressing harder to feel the yield of such a gorgeous boy.

 

Gavin was damn near swooning. He could taste the acrid air of the city on Dan's lips but there was a pleasant burn of stubble there as well, turning his skin raw in just a few moments. He'd never kissed anyone besides his little group of friends but this wasn't the same. When he kissed them he didn't feel this _possessive_.

 

Dan moved quick and curled his arms right around the boy to feel how well their bodies aligned. He curled his forearm up under the curve of his bottom to bring Gavin up face to face, the other arm wrapping tight across his back to keep him from squirming away.

 

Little did he know that the thought of escaping was the last thing on Gavin's mind. The boy made a choked noise of surprise pleasured before he melted into the human's arms. Gavin felt so safe, so protected, and even if Dan was smaller than Geoff and his arms weren't nearly as large what muscle he did have was just fine. He didn't posses the ADAM-fueled heat of a Big Daddy but Gavin liked the coolness against him, he liked the touch of scruff and solid grasp of his fingers while his mouth stayed supple against his own. It felt like how it looked when Ryan kissed his small Ray – all consuming and loving. Any lingering fear he had of the human was gone. Gavin arched into the man's body and let himself sink into those arms. Even with the bold grip on his ass making his skin buzz pleasantly, he knew Dan wouldn't hurt him.

 

Gavin hooked a long finger in the human's belt and started urging him forward with small tugs, his sandaled feet taking small steps backward toward the large couch he'd seen earlier. With each sway their mouths broke apart and Dan began to whine, cheeks ruddy with ardor.

 

“Do not take away such lips,” Dan begged, following much more quickly as the boy teased him with a wink. “They are the finest petals, and what sweet nectar inside.”

 

Dan laced his fingers into fine, golden hair and dragged him up into a deep kiss. Tongues slid over one another, twining, and they both moaned. The human swept him up into his arms like a blushing bride and licked the lingering spice of ADAM out of that tempting mouth. Gavin clung to him with a little laugh, arms wrapping around the human's neck.

 

“What a gift I've found in this wretched city,” Dan huffed warmly. “Such a beauty.”

 

“There are Brothers more beautiful than me here,” Gavin protested.

 

Dan was unsure what he meant by 'brothers' but those glowing eyes made him think of Michael and Ray. Both boys had been lovely in his eyes but this one, this tiny Gavin, was different. “Not to me.”

 

Gavin cooed as he was lifted up closer so the human could breathe deeply from the crook of his throat. Dan didn't couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was but the boy smelled amazing. It was just so _lively_. He wanted to pour his essence in a glass over ice and chug it until it dribbled down his chin.

 

Dan plopped down on the couch and the boy squirmed around in his arms until he could properly straddle him. Those thighs spread over his lap with an enticing glimpse of silken panties that made his throat close up. He tried to protest for the sake of Gavin's modesty but the boy cut him off with another kiss. It was heartbreakingly slow, tongues curling languidly just to enjoy the taste and feeling. Gavin's fingers began to roam over the man's shirt, bunching the material up briefly over his shoulders and chest so he could feel the firm swell of muscle underneath. His thumbs caught in the suspenders and he smirked against the human's mouth as he led the straps down his arms. Dan obliged, shrugging them off with one fluid motion so they were out of the way. His hands did their own exploring, following the long line of the boy's calves and the paths the ribbons cut across them. Long fingers began to pop the buttons of Dan's shirt one by one, digits deliberately dipping inside the folds of clothing each time in a tantalizing tease that stirred the human's arousal. When the boy finally parted the shirt he frowned to find another waiting beneath it.

 

“So many layers,” Gavin griped good-naturedly. “Can't I see you?”

 

“Would you like to?” Dan asked bashfully. At the other's eager nod he completely untucked his button-up before letting his fingertips curl beneath the undershirt, rucking it up to expose most of his torso and bunched under his arms. There was a naughtiness to the act that had color blooming on both their cheeks. It felt quite adolescent – like Dan was a buxom young lass giving her school mates a peek under her blouse. Gavin wanted to touch but he was rather busy trying to memorize every inch. There was true muscle in the soldier's stomach but a quiet softness to his chest that begged to be explored.

 

Gavin crossed his arms and let his fingers hook under his gypsy top. “It's only fair, yeah?”

 

Dan's hazel eyes went as round as dinner-plates as the boy yanked his shirt right up and off over his head. The human's mouth watered at the first sight of small, dark pink nipples and there was a new hunger for them growing on his tongue. There was a fine down of hair along his belly and dusting just faintly at his chest and when Dan dared to touch a single finger to it he found it nothing short of pure velvet. They came together for another wet kiss but when they pressed together it was like a burn, both barely managing to pull away. There was true heat in the Little Brother's body and when it met the comparable coolness of the human's skin it threatened to _steam_.

 

“No one's ever felt so right in my arms,” Dan declared with unbridled delight as he rubbed his hands over the boy's bare shoulders and down his back, mapping hills and valleys with just his fingertips. “Every inch of you feels as if it were made just for my hands, your mouth carved for mine.” Gavin melted into the heated kiss that was slanted across his yearning lips. “Your eyes...God Himself must have dyed those eyes to attract me as they do. Whether magic or divine, I do not care what kind of spell this is.” He tucked his thumb under the boy's chin and tilted his head up, admiring his face with an affectionate gaze. “Like a moth to a flame, I cannot look away.”

 

Gavin's heart was going to burst from such romantic babble and he forced him into silence with a harsh kiss that clacked their teeth. His eyes were wet but his cock was stirring under his skirt, skin prickling in anticipation. With every swipe of the man's hand there was a pebbled trail of goosebumps left in it's wake along with a smear of grime. He shivered as his nipples were caught in the 'v' of the human's fingers and got a soft squeeze on each just to see if the reaction could be coaxed out of him again.

 

“Are they sensitive?” Dan's voice was in a conspiratorial whisper that seemed to sink straight into the boy's skin. Gavin nodded slightly and his eyes clamped shut as a pathetic whimper leaked out of him, fingertips clamping on the buds. They were rolled, swelling under the pressure, and when they were released it was to a rush of hot sensation. Gavin peeked down at them and flushed when he saw how dark they were now.

 

“Cheeky bastard,” the boy rasped.

 

“Hush, darling, let me kiss them better.”

 

Dan's mouth was mercifully cool upon his chest and he clawed at the broad shoulders when the first nip was taken. They were kissed as well as his mouth had been and every lave of that tongue, every soft suck, made him that much needier. He shoved Dan away when he felt the man's grin, and when he looked up his lips were slick and his expression smug.

 

“You teasing little-!”

 

They collided, chests pressed flushed and fervor building as lips sought their pair. Teeth nibbled at mouths that were too happy to receive the abuse. It became a sort of game of give and take, faint laughter passing between them as they worked to leave nice marks upon the small swell of lips. When Dan’s hand finally gained the courage to slip down and grab Gavin’s ass the boy’s surprised moan nearly choked him.

 

Gavin broke away from him with a rough gasp. “Touch me, Dan, my human. Feel me.”

 

Dan shook his head more to clear the fog in his head than protest but the other seemed to take it as a challenge. Gavin slid back and he thought the boy was leaving him. Even half-ruined as he was, Dan stroked up his bare thighs in a plea not to go anywhere. The boy fluttered his lashes and fiddled with the hem of the skirt in his lap - the human grew breathless with anticipation. The ruffled material was flipped up and Dan thought his heart would give out right there and then.

 

The boy was pairing a tight pair of silk panties with gold ribbons holding it together over his hips, somehow matching his shoes in the only way that mattered. The lacings showed off a tantalizing peek of soft skin but it was what was tucked in the waistline that had his cock stirring restlessly in his undergarments. A thin tube of viscous fluid was hiding there all nice and snug against the flat of his lower belly. The human’s gasp made Gavin shudder but there was true hunger in the way those eyes seemed to darken even further.

 

Dan managed to look away from the lube to admire the way the boy’s hard cock strained against his panties. There was a little wet patch and the poor thing must have been _dripping_ to get through such rich material like it was. His mouth watered. He would gladly drink from such a mortal tap for the rest of his life.

 

“Is this something you want?” Gavin asked with an unwanted tinge of innocence, teeth snagging the corner of his lip. “I can take a lot really quick. I - I slick up easy. If you want to have me, you can.”

 

“God, I _do_ ,” Dan confessed like each word was an agony. “I would love nothing more than to share that with you.”

 

Gavin reached out with a shaky hand and lightly rubbed at the bulge in the man’s pants. “I would love to feel this inside me.”

 

Dan blanketed his fingers and pressed them down to feel the true thickness of his cock. “Do you want me to claim you, little darling?”

 

“I do,” Gavin sighed, chest tight in desire. _I would let you have me on the floor like an animal if you asked._ He started to unbutton those pants with reverence, getting more excited with each slide. There was a strange lump in his pocket but it was ignored. He folded aside the loose flaps and finally saw the curve of his cock through his underwear. Gavin easily slid out of the human’s lap and giggled at the way he immediately whined for him to come back. He put his hands on Dan’s thighs and leaned over him, lowering until he could kiss the sizeable bulge. He inhaled the musk before he licked over the coarse material. The boy cooed at the faint taste. _I want the real thing._

 

Gavin straightened and slipped his hand under his skirt to pull out the lube. He handed it to the human with a wink before spinning around. He smirked at the far wall as he slowly started to bend over, hands tucking between his legs so he could run his fingers along his inner thighs. Keeping his balance, he bent at the waist so Dan could properly see him touching himself.

 

“Oh, Gavin…”

 

The boy laughed at his success and hooked his thumbs in each side of his panties. He took his sweet time sliding him down the curve of his ass. He could feel the silk along the slit of his cheeks and the barest whisper of it against his hole, fabric bunching purposefully just under the mounds to frame his bottom just as perfectly as Michael had done in front of Geoff once. Though he felt a little silly doing it, the erotic nature of the act won out when he heard Dan’s high pitched moan. He sounded as if he were being denied a particularly tasty dessert. He gave the human plenty of time to admire his assets before he pushed the underwear down and kicked them off.

 

Dan panted like a wanton pup at the sight of the tiny, dark pucker. He wanted to lean forward and lap at it, taste the furl of muscle until it opened to him like petals to the morning sun. It was quite the beautiful sight to see such a gorgeous boy bending over for him, showing himself off like a prize. And like a prize, Dan snatched him up.

 

Gavin gave an indignant squawk as he was yanked backward into the human’s lap. He sprawled, all flailing limbs, but was quickly wrapped back up in Dan’s arms. He whimpered as the human’s cool, solid hands groped at his chest as if he had more womanly flesh to caress. His head fell back against the man’s shoulder and the smooth lilt of a familiar accent poured into his ear.

 

“I know you,” Dan insisted, fingertips burning points of pleasure into the boy’s chest. “I must. I feel as if we’ve been here a hundred times but every time I touch a new piece of you it’s like I touch a piece of the Heavens.” The man’s lips teased the shell of his ear. “Have you stepped out of my dreams, my young darling? It this real? This city, these creatures, the glow of your eyes…”

 

Dan rubbed his mouth over his cheek and sighed blissfully. “If this is a dream I don’t ever want to wake up. God, leave me in this Hell so that I may enjoy your finest angel for a little bit longer.”

 

“Stop, Dan, I beg you,” Gavin whined as tears leeched into his lashes. “You’re going to break my heart with such words. I’m here, aren’t I? You don’t have to seduce me. You’ll drive me mad with great praise like that.”

 

“I mean it,” Dan swore fiercely as a hand drifted down and then up under the ruffled skirt, fingertips curling around the cock that lay beneath. It was slender and greedy, streaked with pre-cum and slick under his fingers. The boy shuddered so prettily and he fondled the tip until there was a shaky moan. Teeth sunk into Gavin's skin and every bite left behind a tingling mark that only made him wriggle harder in the human's lap. His eyes glazed over with a layer of tears from just the _overwhelming_ feeling of it all. Dan's touch was everywhere at once and he eventually had to rip himself away from the human to get himself together.

 

Gavin got to his feet and caught his breath. He'd never been driven to such intensity so fast and everything about it felt so right – he almost couldn't believe it. He didn't want to lose himself just yet, they had barely properly started. He turned and grinned at the flustered human. “I want to have some fun too.”

 

“Wait!” Dan begged off. He took a minute to dig some water out of his bag and wet his hands, rubbing them off on his shirt until he was as clean as he was going to get. He'd already left enough dirty fingerprints on the boy's once unblemished skin.

 

With a little bit of hand waving, Gavin got the human to sit back and relax into the couch. He stood between the man's knees and started tugging at his pants, making room so he got could at the small buttons of his underwear. The material parted and with just a bit of tugging he got the human's cock to spring free. His lips formed in a tight 'o' of surprise and he started stroking it without shame. Though Dan's hiss didn't go unnoticed, Gavin was more interested in the column of flesh within his hand. It was flushed and the head was dark, the defined rim feeling rather exotic under his curious touch. His admiration became adoration and he smiled at the way it twitched for him. “This is going to feel great inside me.”

  
The soldier showed his strength as he reared up and seized Gavin up off his feet, swinging him down and laying him out on the bed in the span of a scant few heartbeats. Dan dropped his head between the boy's bare knees and sucked his little length down like it was nothing. Gavin squealed at the sudden wetness and grabbed at the human, hips bucking but quickly getting pinned down. Dan's tongue was adamant about licking over every inch of him and the boy lost his control, wrapping his legs around the man's head and trying desperately to fuck his mouth as he would one of his friends' holes. He was sucked down to the root and his long legs threatened to kick, a heel grazing along the man's back and wrinkling his shirt.

 

Dan wanted to tell him to be quiet, that they didn't want to be discovered, but the sounds were much too sweet to silence. He pet the boy's legs to soothe him as he slowly pulled off the length with a wet _pop_ that only made him hungrier. “I could stay between these thighs forever.”

 

Gavin tried not to let another needy whine out as the human kissed up his thigh, lips paying worship to every inch like he would never get to again. “I would let you.”

 

Dan held up the lube he'd been handed. He'd nearly lost it between the cushions. “Are you sure about this?”

 

“I am.”

 

“Don't leave me after this.” Dan pressed his cheek to the boy's thigh and clenched his eyes shut. He was afraid to see the boy's face in the face of his weakness. “Please. I could not bear to share such intimacy and open my eyes to find you gone.”

 

Gavin hated the misery in the human's tone and he fisted his hands in his shirt, pulling until he obeyed and moved up his body. Their lips slid together with a relieved sigh from the human and their forms strained against one another, both silently begging for more skin-to-skin contact. It almost hurt not to hurt not to be pressed together like this.

 

“Not gonna' leave,” Gavin promised, their lips hardly leaving for more than it took to draw in a breath. He buried his fingers in dark hair and lowered his voice to a breathless vow. “There's always going to be a place for you between my thighs.”

 

Dan exhaled hotly. “I can't lose you.”

 

Gavin giggled and brushed their noses. “You haven't even properly had me yet. Which I would like very much to do now.”

 

“Alright, alright,” Dan chuckled, tapping his hip. “Turn over for me, little love. It wont be as uncomfortable if you're on your belly.”

 

Gavin pouted and raised his leg up, exposing himself more. “I want you to prep me like this. I want to see you, Dan.”

 

That echoing, ethereal voice saying his name with such longing was all the convincing the human needed. Dan hiked the boy's knee up over to curl over his shoulder before he uncapped the vile with his thumb. It was thick, almost oily, and it spread well as he poured it over his fingers.

 

Gavin's breath hitched as he watched the other drizzle three fingers in the lubricant. It was mesmerizing to see the pale digits start to shine and _know_ that it was to open him up. Heat fluttered through his heart and his lithe chest heaved. “Please, Dan, put them all in me. I want to feel it.”

 

“You'll feel all of it, my impatient little bird, hush your chirping,” Dan scolded with a wicked smile before he started kissing the boy's thigh again. He suckled a mark into it as his finger circled the small hole, smearing the slick around in lazy movements before he started to slide just one digit inside. The way the body bore down on him made his own cock twitch excitedly. “Relax for me, darling. Let me inside.”

 

“Yes, yes, please,” Gavin babbled, brows knitting up as he tried to force himself to relax.

 

Dan marked up the thigh that was so nicely presented to him but he kept looking back at the boy's ruddy face to make sure he was feeling good. That hay-colored spiky mess of hair grew somehow more ruffled as Gavin thrashed his head. The command to keep still was still present and he was doing his best to obey. Their eyes met and refused to look away as Dan slid in a second finger. The boy nearly writhed off his fingers all together.

 

Dan nipped one of the darker marks he'd left on his leg. “Stop squirming.”

 

“You try being on this end,” Gavin bit back.

 

There was challenge there and it was met. “I'll give you something to wiggle about.”

 

Dan drove his fingers in deep and searched very gently for the boy's fleshy spot. He found it swollen and blood-hot and he hooked his fingers rather sharply inside him, jerking _up_ hard against it. Gavin barely let out a squeak but his eyes were painfully wide, staring up at the ceiling without hardly seeing anything at all. The human did it again just as roughly and Gavin tried to jump out of his skin, a squawk erupting from his stuttering lips as tendrils of pleasure shot through his body. His cock smeared thick globs of arousal all across the ruffles of his skirt. The boy started to protest but as Dan repeated it his vocabulary was reduced down to breathy whines of his partner's name.

 

“D-Don't do it again,” Gavin begged on the tail end of a sob, the man's fingers curling flexing inside him as if ready to send him out of his head with need once again. “Dan, _please_ , I'll spill.”

 

“Would you make a mess of yourself for me?” Dan inquired with a sultry drawl.

 

The boy nodded, a single tear trickling down his temple and into his hair.

 

“Like it a bit too much, do you?” He got another nod. Dan bent down and licked a bead of pre-cum off the lad's cock, fingers curling just slightly inside his tight hole. “I learned that from some proper Belgium lasses. They were quite eager to get inside me any way they could and I picked up a few things.”

 

Gavin took the distracting image like a lifeline and chuckled weakly to himself at the thought of a bunch of pretty girls pinning Dan to a bed and ripping away his clothes to get a touch. He couldn't blame them at all. He wondered briefly what kind of world the surface was if it had such a luxury but the questions popped away like bubbles a wave of comfort washed over him. Dan had experience, he knew what he was doing. It was a different type of feeling than he'd gotten from the circle of the man's hands and his insides purely quivered at how well taken care of he felt. The liquid warmth of safety was different from the whir of ADAM in his veins. It made him loose and fuzzy-headed.

 

Gavin spread his legs as far as he could upon the couch, hands bunching in his skirt to drag it up around his waist so all of him was properly bared. “Let me have it.”

 

“Alright, love, no more teasing,” Dan gruffed as he slid out his fingers to re-oil them. “Give me a moment more to open you up all nice and proper.

 

“You can't hurt me with that thing,” Gavin giggled, feeling so gloriously wet and open now.

 

Dan slapped his thigh playfully and the boy whined through his nose. “Brat! You don't make fun of a gentleman's weapon.”

 

The way the human waggled his dark eyebrows made Gavin laugh again and he tried to hide it behind his hands but it was no use. The boy sat up and caught him in a slow kiss that contrasted with the previous, rough fingering. When he could stand to pull away from that lovely mouth he spoke in a teasing lilt. “Let me restore that pride, good sir.”

 

Gavin leisurely turned over onto his hands and knees, both rightly presenting himself and keeping his leverage. Dan watched him with blatant awe and shamelessly eyed his dripping cock, the tightness of his sack, the dark streaks from his own filthy fingers that striped him alike a claim, the swell of his bare ass, and the shining rim of his hole as it was all laid out for him to admire. He ran his hands down the slope of Gavin's back and gladly fingered the pushed-up skirt. It had been much too long since he'd touched fabric so delicate. But the pretty material was nothing in comparison to when he laid his hands along the boy's cheeks. They were small, generous handfuls and he dug his thumbs in to feel the warm give. Gavin gave a choked-off whimper and spread his legs even more. There was a nervous energy in the lad now and it could be felt in the way his muscles seemed to all clench up.

 

“Do you like what you see?” Gavin's words were riddled with nerves and he started to falter. He tried to cling on to that _safe_ feeling but it was slipping away with his vulnerable position. He wanted to sound sexy like Michael did when he was sweet talking their Daddy but his tongue was lax behind his teeth. “Do you still want me? D-Do you want me to get down further?” He would. Without hesitation he would bury his face in the couch and present himself as just a hole to be rutted into. He didn't care – he just wanted to have everything Dan could give.

 

“Of course I want you. I'd rather see you face to face, love,” Dan admitted as he splayed his fingers over the dip of the boy's back, marveling at how obediently those hips were canted up like a plea. “But I can get so deep like that. Would you like that, Gav?”

 

The little nickname made his heart skip a beat. Gavin nodded and chewed his bottom lip until it stung. “I want to be full of you. I...I want you as far in me as you can go.”

 

Dan leaned over the boy's body and branded a meaningful kiss into his exposed nape. “I will rub every bit of me into every inch of you.”

 

He moved down and peppered more along his spine, lightly sucking a mark in the dip of his lower back. Dan straightened back up on his knees and spread the boy's cheeks, thumbs framing the shining hole. His touch so close to such a sensitive place made the boy keen in an endearing, quiet voice. The soldier wasn't holding out much better. Dan took a deep breath and held the base as he inched towards his destination. The head pressed against clenching muscle and after one small push it popped inside the ring.

 

The lovers closed their eyes in unison and moaned together, the sound lacing and echoing around them.

 

Gavin clenched down tight to feel how the head hooked behind him rim. He already felt full and somehow even _gratified_ with so very little.

 

Dan forced his eyes open to watch the hole greedily hug at his cock. He pulled back out and the muscle kissed at his flesh like a hungry mouth. He took the moment to slick his cock with the rest of the oily substance and he made sure to be generous. Though Gavin felt hot, he feared he wasn't quite slick enough to keep him from pain. The boy made a strained sound and started clawing at the couch and he was confused at first but the rush of words came out soon enough.

 

“Put it back in,” Gavin begged with a frantic edge. “I'm so _wanting_ , Dan. Please don't deny me now. I'll do anything, I swear. Just let me feel you.”

 

Dan lovingly hushed him. “You can do one thing for me, darling.”

 

Gavin's elbows threatened to give at the throaty voice. “Anything.”

 

He grabbed the boy's hips and braced his knees hard into the cushion. “Enjoy yourself.”

 

Dan worked himself inside the lad in one long glide. Gavin sighed at first but he melted into a content mewl as he was filled up. The cock was smaller and cooler than he was used to but a lovely blush came across his cheeks and his lashes fell low, true satisfaction like he'd never felt buzzing through him from his fingers to his toes and what felt like even up into his hair. The man's hips were flush against the swell of his cheeks, sheathed to the hilt. That cock cooled the fire roiling within him, an itch he hadn't realized he'd had

 

Dan stayed still so as to give the boy a moment to adjust, to keep from hurting him, but Gavin was a livewire around him. Muscles rolled visibly under his skin as he writhed, walls squeezing like a fist, back arched in a lovely curve that called to the human's fingers, his own hands furiously kneading the couch. Gavin was almost painfully hot inside but it was everything he hadn't known he'd wanted. The first thrust caught the boy off guard and he chirped loudly as he was bounced forward a little, glowing eyes widening in surprise.

 

Dan's chest filled with pride at bringing forth such lovely sounds from this sinfully innocent creature. “Did I hurt you, little bird?”

  
“No! God, no, love,” Gavin professed. “Have me just like that.” He braced himself better upon the cushions. “I can feel every inch.”

 

“Can you?” Dan half-teased.

 

“Oh yes.” Gavin arched up his hips and squeezed down upon the human's cock with purpose. He wanted to reach back and grab Dan's thigh, rake his polished nails into pale skin, but he was afraid he'd be knocked off balance by such powerful thrusts. “Rut into me, my human.”

 

Dan obeyed him his lover with haste. He kept Gavin's lithe hips cupped in his hands as he started truly thrusting into him. The soldier openly moaned at how truly good it felt. He'd thought Michael's mouth had quenched his thirst but now he felt ravenous, hungry for each slap of flesh and the wet clench of Gavin's hole. Though they were both saturated with the oily lube there was a friction between them, a grind, and it felt like it would spark a fire that would consume him and leave nothing behind. Dan was drunk on the smell of Gavin's skin, the lingering taste of him on his lips, the vice of his body. He'd fucked before – he'd fallen into bed with a hundred loving kisses and drunk his fill of them. But this one boy however many leagues under the sea they were had all his attention, his whole heart, his every sense tied to him with no chance of being yanked free. Every thrust felt like he was that much closer to molding with the boy. He couldn't stop looking at him – the graceful curve of his spine and the flush on his cheeks and thighs. He watched the boy's puffy hole and how it swallowed him, how it gleamed in the light.

 

He could've spent forever just like this.

 

Gavin found himself making a bastardized coo that was more moan than it should've been. He couldn't help the sounds he made, the human was driving him up in a spiral of pleasure that he was more than happy to spin in. Dan's cock was unposessive and didn't stretch him like Geoff did but he loved it like nothing else, not even like his Michael or Egg or anything in between. Though he'd spent hours licking his sweet boy open and lazily grinding into his soft body, _this_ was what he was meant to be doing. The fat rim of Dan's kept clipping his sweet spot and he was embarrassed of all the noise he was making because of it. He sounded overly wanton to his own ears but Dan kept murmuring about how wonderful he sounded.

 

“Am I filling you well?” Dan panted, silently praying that he was pleasing the boy even half as a well as he was being pleased. He was half delirious with a pleasured fever and he needed to know if his lover was getting as much out of it.

 

Gavin punched out a small chuckle. “It would only be better if I had a belly full of your cream.”

 

It was Dan's turn to laugh, the human tossing his head back as he barked out the joyous noise. “If I could've gotten myself up again to plow you like this, I would have gladly granted you such a simple wish.”

 

“I would've got you all hard again,” Gavin purred out the promise.

 

Dan groaned behind him and the thrusts resumed, the human's grip just a little tighter to show that his words had affected him. There was a delicious rawness to being fucked with a cock of this size. He didn't gape with every drag and his body slowly opened with each slap of the man's hips against his ass. He clamped down to feel it all in the upthrust but it wasn't quite enough.

 

“Harder. God, Dan, _harder_ ,” Gavin urged, keeping himself extra tight as he started to rock back, gluttonously seeking more pleasure. “Can't you feel how good I am for you? It's all for you, please, my human...use me.” His fingers dug into the couch as he screwed his eyes shut, true bliss just out of his reach. “I need it.”

 

“My pretty Gavin,” Dan implored, pausing deep inside the lad to try and convince him otherwise, “I don't want to hurt you.”

 

Gavin snarled and glared over his shoulder, eyes glowing so bright the human winced. “Fuck the pretty out of me.”

 

Dan's growl made goosebumps crop up along the boy's back. A solid hand clawed over Gavin's shoulder and hooked tight, the other creeping around until his fingers were just an inch from his eager cock. Gavin yelped happily as he was dragged back into a hard thrust that he could feel in the back of his throat. He gagged quietly but he wanted it, he wanted to feel everything he could. The fleshy smack of their mating made him breathless. Their sweat kicked up musk and he wanted to rub his face against the human's broad chest, to lick the salt from his skin. With Gavin grinding back into each thrust he built up a rhythm that had him bouncing happily onto the man's cock, hitting the seat of his thighs so well while the man's hips drove to meet him. A tiny _ungh_ escaped him with each sheath and all those sounds combined just put the boy in the naughtiest mindset that had him smiling the whole time. He wanted to be used, filled, and bred by this human.

 

_I'm burning up._

 

Then Dan changed his tempo, slowing down before he pulled away all together. Gavin didn't get a chance to protest before the soldier flipped him over. Gavin looked away, ashamed at how exposed he was with his hole dripping oily slick and the watery pre-cum that had leaked from the human's cock. His own length was dribbling against his tummy, his skirt up around his waist and useless to hide his modesty at all. But he was aflame with desire and he parted his thighs like water to entice the man back between them. “Don't stop...don't leave me like this.”

 

“What rumpled beauty before me,” Dan proclaimed, voice rough with sex and chest heaving. “I feel as if I've sullied an angel. God forgive me, but I will do it again and a hundred times over if allowed.”

 

Gavin dared to look back at the man. Dan's shirt and pants were open, glistening cock out and his flexing stomach was still exposed. He was all flushed, sweat slicked across his forehead and soaking into his shirt. He looked truly mortal and it softened the boy up, erasing the start of doubt that had threatened to creep into his heart. Without looking away Dan took up his legs and hitched them up high around his waist, slowly covering him. Gavin lowered down flat on the couch and let his hands glide over the man's shoulders to pull him into a kiss. It was all tongue and filled with moans as Dan slip back inside the boy's body. With Gavin rolled up under him like this he got just as deep and he made sure each grind of his hips rubbed even just a little over the boy's gland.

 

There was no need, Gavin was seeing stars regardless and he was quickly becoming hazy all covered up by the man's body. The musk pouring off the human's skin was like nectar and he lapped under his jaw and down his throat, tongue urging the pores to give up all their hormones. They moved so smoothly like this, bodies sliding together so perfectly and letting them fit like they were made for one another. Dan rained loving, wet kisses past his mouth and down over his throat. His humping grew more fevered as Gavin's sounds increased in pitch, their hands grabbing more intensely at whatever they could just to feel _more_.

 

“My darling,” Dan whispered into his pulse with soft reverence. The words were repeated over and over like a prayer into his skin. Every time he bottomed out inside Gavin's welcoming body it was like salvation and he gladly worshiped at the flesh-and-blood alter. The lad answered him with encouraging sounds of the sweetest pleasure and raked his fingers through his dark hair.

 

But the tension couldn't last forever and they were almost too wrapped up in their whispered praises and enjoying the pure physical sensation to realize it.

 

Gavin suddenly gasped and clawed hard at the human's back. “Dan! Oh hell, oh God.”

 

Dan kept the deep thrusts aimed up to make the boy keen, those lithe hips trying to work even without leverage. “Let it happen. Fall into it, darling.”

 

“I – I'm...” Gavin choked up, thighs clenching up hard. His back bowed almost painfully and his head was thrown back, hair scraping against the cushion. “ _Daddy._ ”

 

The word was mewled out with unmeasurable adoration and it made Dan's balls draw up tight, the clenching sensation punching him in the gut. His rhythm stuttered as he watched and listened to the boy's slender cock spurt hard up along his belly, spunk smearing between them as they kept rocking together. Gavin went still at the very height of his climax but as his muscles finally unlocked he started to move with him again, riding his finish as well as working the human towards his own.

  
“Need it inside me,” Gavin rasped, eyes open in mere slits as he tried to clench around the cock. “Don't waste it, Dan, pretty please?”

 

“My tiny darling,” Dan groaned into his throat, hips working harder as his fingers dimpled deeply in the boy's skin. He reared up hard and mouthed at Gavin's jaw, breath puffing as he let his own climax wash over him. He rolled slowly into the yielding body and listened to the boy's pleased whimper as he came. He filled Gavin so deeply that he was sure the lad would catch if he was the little girl he dressed up as.

 

“Hot,” Gavin praised, dragging his nails once more over the red streaks he'd left on the Dan's flesh before. He could feel the splash of warm, human seed and it seemed to coat his walls, spraying deep and filling him just as he'd asked. Dan's weak moan made him smile and he hushed the man as they slowed to a stop, cock pulsing one last time before it started to soften.

 

Gavin truly whimpered in disappointment when the limp cock slid out of his hole. Geoff had been big enough to stay deeply inside him even after he was spent. “No, please, not yet.”

 

“I'm not going anywhere,” Dan swore as he reached between their bodies and gradually eased himself from the boy's hole. He fingered the rim and watched Gavin's face for any sides of discomfort. “Are you hurting at all, my darling?”

 

Gavin smile weakly. “Only in the way that you're not still inside me.”

 

“Oh, my love, hush that kind of talk,” the human gentled.

 

“Dan...”

 

“I know.”

 

Dan tucked himself between the couch and the boy's body and covered him as much as he could, turning the other's head so their noses brushed. They were so close like this, taking in each other's breaths and soaking in the warmth of shared body heat. Dan smoothed the boy's skirt down just enough to cover his modesty but his wide palm lingered on the silky inner thigh, fingertips tickling the pale hair there.

 

“Was I good for you?” Gavin asked, brows pinched up.

 

“I've never been given such a grand gift. No one's ever been half as perfect,” Dan assured him, occasionally stealing a chaste kiss between words. “Thank you, my love.”

 

Gavin made a wounded noise. “My human...my Dan...I...”

 

Dan kissed him again and licked the words off his tongue. Underneath the pure ecstasy of a shared release and the warm glow of intimate contact, there was a heaviness that clung to the bottom of their hearts. A dread of what was to come after these last few minutes together. Instead of voicing their worries they mapped out each other's mouths with playful flicks of their tongues. Dan rubbed Gavin's thigh and the boy caressed his arm in return, one hand coming up to run a single thumb along the line of his jaw. They hummed happily and sank together into the couch, bodies temporarily spent and minds mercifully scattered, lost on all concepts except of each other.

 

And then the door opened.

 

Gavin sat up first when he recognized the click of heels. Michael had been running at first, starting to call his name, but he slid to a halt when he realized what he was looking at. His elegant friend was in such beautifully delicate clothing – dressed to the nine's in his stockings and tiny pleated skirt and a low neck shirt that showed off his pale chest. He looked beautiful and Gavin tried to cover himself, feeling more exposed than ever with the other Little Boy's eyes roving all over him and Dan.

 

“Jesus,” Michael breathed.

 

“Michael, don't,” Gavin begged, heart pounding as he heard the commotion outside. _Geoff_. “Please don't tell him! _Michael_.” The start of a sob stuck in the boy's throat. “Don't do it, Michael.”

  
“I-” the other boy pursed his lips. “I'll buy you time.”

 

Michael darted back out of the room and made sure the door closed securely behind him.

 

Gavin jumped to his feet and searched hastily for his panties. Dan sensed his urgency and heard the noises of battle outside and hurried as well, tucking himself away and fumbling over buttons.

 

“God damn it all,” Gavin hissed as he wiggled the silky material up his legs. He looked close to tears. “What am I going to tell him? What is he going to do to me? I-I don't know what any of this means and I'm so confused and he's going to be so _angry_.”

 

The boy sniffled and wiped his escaped tears away.

 

Dan came up behind him and hugged him around the waist, the boy's top in his hand. He kissed at his neck and shoulder but it only made the boy cry harder. Gavin turned in his arms and hugged him back much too tightly.

 

“I won't leave you,” the human swore.

 

“Idiot,” Gavin laughed tearfully. He sniffled and wiped his eyes on the man's shirt. “You have to get out of here right now.”

 

“I won't!” Dan scowled. “You think I'll leave you here with someone who's going to hurt you?” He took the boy's hands in his own. “Come with me.”

 

“Come with you,” Gavin repeated with a rasp and a sad smile. “This isn't a game, Dan, this is your _life_. You need to leave, hide. I'll talk to Geoff and try to make it all okay. But he can't see us like this. I couldn't take it if he hurt you.”

 

Dan's resolve started to crumble. “I'll protect us both.”

 

“You can't,” Gavin whined as he clung to the man's fingers. “My human, you _can't_.” He pulled himself up by the grip on Dan's shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. “No one's ever made me feel so complete. Protect us, protect _this_ , by leaving right this second. Because if you stay any longer I won't be able to let you go and then Geoff will strike you down.”

 

The man was visibly torn and he clung tighter in vain. “One last kiss?”

 

Gavin felt sick to his very stomach as let the man have his mouth. It was just a press of bite-swollen lips and barely-restrained cries of longing. Separating that last intimate contact was one of the hardest things either man had ever done.

 

“Here.” Dan dug into his pocket and pulled out two disks set on a string of what looked like butcher's twine. “Take these.”

 

“What are they?” Gavin asked as he took them up into his own hand and examined them. One disk was round and red, the other was more hexagonal. The second was tied to the first. There was a number impressed into it, a few letters, and a name. _355807 CA. Gruchy, D._ The rest was nonsense to him.

 

“They're my ID tags. I stopped wearing them after the war. I didn't consider myself important enough to need identification. I wasn't a soldier anymore,” Dan admitted. “Take them, as a promise that you won't forget about me. That we'll find each other again. And if we don't...you're the only person in this world I would be saddened to know had forgotten me.”

 

“I will _never_ forget you,” Gavin swore fiercely. There was a yell outside, and then Michael's softer voice. A bolt of panic went through the boy and made him jump into action, pulling the necklace over his head and hiding it in his shirt before he shoved the human towards the center of the room. “There's a service tunnel under here that goes straight to the tram. Stay away from Olympus Heights and the Market.”

 

Dan let himself be manhandled and was surprised when the boy opened up a trap door that truly did lead down to a lit corridor. “My gun – my bag – ”

 

“I'll grab them, just get down there!”

 

While Dan carefully jumped down, the boy bolted and snatched up the pistol and the strap of the human's bag. Gavin got on his knees beside the open door and lowered them both down. Dan's hand caught his own and squeezed, handsome face beaming up at him.

 

“Gavin-”

 

“Please, just go-”

 

“I love you!”

 

Two tears plipped down onto the floor at Dan's feet. The boy squeezed his hand back before he ripped it away. “Go, before he kills you.”

 

Gavin slammed the door shut and latched it with a sob.

 

“What have I done?” the boy hiccuped behind his hand.

 

_What's going to happen to us?_

 

* * *

 

 

**Any feedback at all is much loved and appreciated because I spent three days on this and it is hands down my best work I believe and I hope you guys enjoyed it.**

 

 

 


	14. What We Once Were

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan took it out and closed the drawer. He held the folder between his hands and leaned forward until his forehead clunked against the metal cabinet. He didn't want to see it, he really didn't. His heart was already broken and he wasn't sure if he could handle it. Dan's hands were shaking as he opened it up and ripped the audio tape off the side. The tape clacked at the edges of the player before it slid in. It was slowly clicked shut and the red button to play it was rubbed over thoughtfully. 
> 
> -
> 
> or: "Plot heavy as dicks"

**Major Bioshock spoilers and mentions of child abuse**   
  
**I wasn't feeling good and school is shit right now so I decided to post to kind of make myself feel better?**

 

* * *

 

 

The service tunnel had indeed spilled out to the tram and there had mercifully been a map there. Dan busted the glass with the butt of his pistol and ripped it down for himself. With its help and a quick power up of the tram he managed to get across the city. Alone in the control car he played Tenenbaum's audio log again and thought of Gavin, of finding a way out of this place. Her words tugged at his heart and he decided to go through with it.

 

Along the way he found an audio log by an empty chamber for a bathysphere. He picked it up and put it in his bag but didn't bother to listen to it.

 

The Little Brothers Orphanage was heartbreaking. The rooms were small, bare, and every toy he came across was broken long before the place had been ran-sacked. From the audio logs and the files left behind in the filing cabinets, there were more of these places all over the city, one for each major hub. This one pointed him in the right direction – the Little Wonders Educational Facility.

 

The place was haunting. Dan had to sneak by some rogue security bots but he got into the heart of the place. It was a cross between a hospital and daycare center with the sick twist of a mental facility. There were drawings and posters on the wall declaring love for “Big Daddies” and calling corpses “angels”. He was disgusted just looking at it. There were half-rotted corpses strewn throughout the whole place and when he stepped over them he muttered a prayer for protection. There were rooms pained pink with old beds and others full of machines and gurneys that were frighteningly child sized. Shattered tubes covered in dried substances that he wasn't even sure of. He found a surgery room with a pile of tiny girl dresses on one of the tables, the pretty fabric soaked in blood. He nearly vomited what little food he'd consumed.

 

When he got to the main records room, it all started to make sense. He went through every log book, played every audio log, and rifled through half-burnt papers until the bigger picture started to come together. The wretched people of this city had started giving up their baby boys to orphanages and then they were plucked out like fruit to come here. This place brain washed them, altered them, and turned them into something called “Little Brothers”. And these Brothers were paired with Big Daddies – large, genetically twisted beings who were meant to protect the boys at all costs. These children were expensive ADAM producers. There were surgically implanted... _slugs_ in their bellies, creatures that filtered ADAM and pumped their tiny bodies with clean drug.

 

And their minds had been warped. He saw the posters on the wall and combed through the negatives of film reels. They were taught to harvest ADAM from corpses (angels, they called them) and to climb in the vents to stay safe. They were told their Big Daddies would protect them, that they were there to help them and love them.

 

He found the first page of Brigid Tenenbaum's file and it had her address so he stuffed it in his bag.

 

There was a clipboard on a nearby table that explained the layout of the room and he scanned through it, mind already heavily buzzing with an overload of info. He couldn't stop thinking of Michael and Gavin, of Ray, and that beast of a man who had come after him and the mysterious 'Geoff' who would have killed him. He was horrified at the thought of young, abandoned children being turned into ADAM milking machines. His stomach churned thinking of his sweet Gavin as a happy baby boy and getting strapped down to one of these tables, a glow bleeding into his eyes as his belly was sliced open.

 

Dan was ready to abandon the whole place and find somewhere quiet to lament over the loss of his new love's childhood but he saw something on the chart. **Doll Initiative**. The words were by the area for the bottom two cabinets on the far wall. He followed the sketched graph and dropped to his knees beside the section it specified. The bottom two drawers were just rows and rows of personnel files, every other one seeming to have an audio log taped inside it. He flicked to the front where a thicker file was that didn't have a name attached to it.

 

 **Doll Initiative** , **Project, 100 Volunteers**

 

“Volunteers?” Dan read out loud with a scowl. He would be pained to believe tiny children could volunteer themselves for anything. He pulled out the file and started flipping through it. There were charts of child-sized bodies with circles areas and drug names scrawled beside it. There were pages of notes, failed experiments, and he had to struggle through the rough handwriting but he plucked out long sentences.

 

_'Projected outcome of ADAM-infused males – up-rise inevitable. Projected outcome of ADAM-infused females – significant reduction.'_

He turned the page over and brought it close to his face to read the unfamiliar words.

_'Hormone replacement therapy initiated on twenty five subjects, number of subjects deemed to increase with success. Estrogen and GnRH increase proves positive with gradual increase. Spironolactone experiments pronounced failure, conflicts with the slug and with natural hormones. Visual simulations produce need for female parts – same results. The desire was pronounced success enough.'_

_'Feminine reeducation proved successful with highly sociable boys. Subliminal messaging of female form, repeated gender pronouns, and limited clothing options appear to work best with more stubborn subjects.'_

 

Dan hastily thumbed through it with an increasing rage boiling in his belly. The scientists who had written this out used terms like “correction”, “persuasion”, “thought reform”. These bastards had been brainwashing little boys into thinking they were girls – into _wanting_ to be girls. And for what? To make sure they didn't rise against their oppressors and tormentors? The people who created these Little Brothers were afraid of what they would become. Sweet Little Boys could grow up into angry men, but not if they wanted if they wanted to stay dainty and feminine forever.

 

The way the boys he'd met dressed...Michael's elegance, Gavin's cute ruffles, and Ray's more subdued blouse and skirt – they had been altered to think that way. They had been changed to believe that was how they should look, how they should behave. Looking through the project file more he saw a few lines about “abandonment therapy” and how these wicked people had _suggested_ that if the boys had been born girls, their parents would have wanted them and they would have never been orphaned.

 

“Cruel bastards,” Dan growled. He was ready to rip the thing to shreds but he controlled himself enough to put the file into his med bag. He could've slammed the drawer and walked away, moved on to travel to wherever the Big Daddies had been made, but he rubbed at the dark marks Gavin had left upon his throat and he decided to look through the files. It hurt his heart to see so many boys with red stamps next to their names, the cross symbol apparently put there when a subject died. He wasn't sure if he was glad to see so many without, ones who had lived.

 

Then a name caught his eye. _Narvaez, Ray Jr._

 

“Ray?” Dan asked out loud as he plucked it out and opened it up, yanking out the tape he found inside and slapping it in the tape player.

 

 **Name:** _Ray Narvaez Jr._ **  
Serial Number:** _#78  
_ **Skill:** _Empathy  
_ **Ethnicity:** _Puerto Rican, Immigrant  
_ **Adoption Circumstance:** _History of parental abuse, unwanted, large family  
_ **Defects:** _Trust issues. Low survival rate. Does not seek ADAM like other subjects. Unsociable._

_  
_

“Jesus,” Dan breathed. He clicked the play button on on the device and it crackled to life.

 

' _We may as well throw this one in the discard pile_ ', a man huffed out of the log. ' _He's too scared of the Big Daddies to get properly bonded. He says they're too mean. I think he means aggressive. We tried to explain to him that a “gentle” Big Daddy couldn't protect him but he's, uh, good at ignoring us. He never speaks unless it's to tell us no. The little shit asks too many questions and he's resisted a lot of our conditioning. I'd recommend more electroshock treatment. I'd smack him around too but he's just a little mutt. There's no reason to bruise the merchandise, even if it's faulty. Plus he flinches whenever we go near him too fast and he stays away from other energetic Brothers. His father must have done a number on him_.'

 

Dan closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath to mourn for the sweet boy. He took out the tape and tucked it inside the file, setting it all aside. He started flicking through the drawer but it was all in the lower alphabet and there were no familiar names. He shut it up, raised up on his knees, and pulled open the drawer above it. The chart said these two would have everyone in the Doll Initiative. Then he saw _Jones, Michael V._ and snatched it out.

 

 **Name:** _Michael Vincent Jones_ **  
Serial Number:** _#10  
_ **Skill:** _Highly Sociable  
_ **Ethnicity:** _True Citizen, The Jones Family (Oil)  
_ **Adoption Circumstance:** _Maternal suicide  
_ **Defects:** _Behavior suggests future promiscuity. Strong need to please may prove problematic.  
_ **Notes:** _Took well to reeducation, shows feminine qualities. Presented confusion on gender per-experiment. Attention seeking. Prime candidate for “Big Sister” program._

 

Dan felt sick. He'd truly taken advantage of the young, confused boy. He pulled off the audio tape from the file flap and reluctantly put it in the log, hitting play.

 

' _Michael would have made a great little lady to the high class, hoity-toity family he came from. Fucking Jones', think they own the place because they brought in all that oil. Too bad his mother got knocked up by some bar fly and they kicked her out of the house. She was a young girl, his mom, I saw her on the street once. Don't think she would've been too happy to know what we've done to her baby boy. The other Little Brothers practically worship him though. He seemed more susceptible to the hormone treatments and we started giving him the heavier dosages to make him a proper girl but Dr. Tenenbaum put a stop to it. We barely managed to keep the good doctor out of the loop on the Doll Initiative. Can't have her knowing we plan to turn them all into girls_.'

 

The scientist's amused laugh made Dan gag.

 

' _This one really likes to cuddle_.' He didn't like the drawl in the man's voice. ' _It's hard to keep your hands off an eager little boy like that. We already had to fire Johnson for trying to peek up the kid's skirt. Claims the brat was flashing him on purpose. But he's a kid, I'm not a fucking sicko, and we don't fucking molest children around here. I can wait until he's a little older like a God damn gentleman, wait until he's got a nice set of tits on him and all those hormones have made his hips like a real woman. We've never had an incident like that before and we never will again._ '

 

“Oh Michael,” Dan lamented, heart breaking into pieces in his chest. He had to sit there and collect himself for a little while before he could put the tape back in the folder and lay it all on top of Ray's. His fingers were damn near numb as he flipped through all the other folders, throat closing up as he hit the F's.

 

_Free, Gavin D._

 

Dan took it out and closed the drawer. He held the folder between his hands and leaned forward until his forehead clunked against the metal cabinet. He didn't want to see it, he really didn't. His heart was already broken and he wasn't sure if he could handle it. Dan's hands were shaking as he opened it up and ripped the audio tape off the side. The tape clacked at the edges of the player before it slid in. It was slowly clicked shut and the red button to play it was rubbed over thoughtfully. 

 

Dan pushed it down before he made himself read the file sheet.

 

 **Name:** _Gavin David Free_ **  
Serial Number:** _#96  
_ **Skill:** _Superb hunter. Heavy survival instincts.  
_ **Ethnicity:** _Immigrant, The Free Family (Textile)  
_ **Adoption Circumstance:** _Abandoned. Reason given: “lack of grace and looks”  
_ **Defects:** _Lack of response from Big Daddies  
_ **Notes:** _Very sociable with other Little Brothers, friendly._

 

Some time must have passed from Ray and Michael's time to Gavin's because the man who started speaking sounded young and chipper. The scientist who'd been speaking before was gone.

 

' _Number ninety-six is quite fast and his critical thinking skills are much higher than expected, even with the shock treatments. We were aiming for a clean slate but he seems to be adapting well. He's more agile than any of the other subjects. I just don't get it. He..._ '

 

The man cleared his throat and Dan thought he'd scream at the pause.

 

' _He can't bond with a Big Daddy. They'll take care of him, but not the way they do to the other boys. It's like he's not their responsibility or something. It's baffling and frustrating to everyone. He's Tenenbaum's favored at the moment, though. She keeps giving him extra pheromone supplements. She has these samples locked away that she only uses for him. It's not my place to question her methods, but I want to help. If she's breeding that boy for a special Big Daddy I want to know. Maybe it has something to do with the private project in the old Memorial Museum. I heard someone say there's another lab below the Proving Grounds and that they're working on a new series of Big Daddies. Intriguing. I can only hope I prove myself and get transferred over there. There's something great happening under the floor._ '

 

Dan had to put the file down so he could flex the tremors out of his fingers. He put the file and tape aside and moved to sit with his back against the cabinet. He undid the first few buttons of his shirt and heaved a great, anguished sigh. His head fell back against the metal and he rolled his shoulders, tension knotting up his muscles. Every bit of him felt heavy and weak. His heart was shattered for Michael and the pieces left had been stomped on by his lovely Gavin's file. The word 'abandoned' was seared behind his eyelids. Someone that was long dead had looked at Gavin's young, smiling face and had decided he was too ugly for their family so he had been dropped off. Textile and oil...Michael's and Gavin's families had probably been friends. They'd probably traveled in the same circles. In another life, the two boys would've grown up friends. Maybe they would have taken over their families as service heads of Rapture, or as star-crossed lovers.

 

But these scientists – Ryan, Fontaine, Tenenbaum, Suchong – had all stolen that choice from these boys. They robbed them of a proper youth, a proper childhood, and it disheartened the human. He felt like he was helplessly beating his head against a wall, throwing himself against the tide. Why had Tenenbaum wanted him to know this? What was the point of ripping him apart like this? Everything inside him ached to fix something that had already been done.

 

Dan sniffed back the mournful tears he wanted to shed and instead dug out the audio log that Tenenbaum had left for him. He slapped it into the slot and hit play before cradling the device against his chest like it was a babe. The woman's voice filled the room and he let his eyes fall closed so he could truly listen to her words.

 

' _Even if I did tell you the truth, you wouldn't believe me. You are the only one who can discover your true purpose._ '

 

That was more than true. He would have never believed such a thing in all his years. As she continued, talking about how she'd held him and how he'd been 'bred' for this, to save angels. He didn't understand. Had she been on the surface when he'd been born? Did his parents know about this place? Had they given him up too?

 

She spoke of the lab the chipper scientist had in the audio log.

 

' _Take my boys home. Show them the truth_.'

 

Dan's jaw clenched tight, teeth grit.

 

' _I helped to build them a sugar-coated world. You must shatter it. Being disillusioned is the hardest pill to swallow but it is a necessary evil. Protect yourself, Daniel, and protect them. If you fail, we all fail._ '

 

When Dan opened his eyes it was with a new determination. He put all the files and logs in his bag and secured them as best he could before he stood and hefted it over his shoulder. He needed to find this museum and get down there, find the lab, see what those whispers had been about. If he was going to get out of the city he was going to do it with those three Little Brothers in tow. He wouldn't let them die here. He would show them their files and tell them of what he'd seen here. He'd break the spell they'd been woven under.

 

But first he needed to find out what he was up against. He needed to figure out exactly what a “Big Daddy” was.

 

~*~

 

Gavin tore himself away from the trap door and got unsteadily to his feet. He rubbed at his tear stained cheeks before he tugged on his shirt. The ruffled top wasn't quite sitting right so he dragged it around and straightened the sleeves. He was attempting to fix his ruined, stained skirt when the door whooshed  open again. Gavin whipped around and felt a swell of terror when he saw both his Big Daddies and his two Brothers rush in, the boys trailing after the men like they were trying to stop them.

 

Geoff took one look at him and he _knew_.

 

“What is this?” Geoff scowled.

 

Gavin's hands fluttered over his throat and collarbones, his arms, anywhere where the human had left marks on him. He was already healing but some places were darker than others. He tugged down his skirt to its proper length and winced when he felt a trickle of Dan's seed on the back of his thigh. He brought his hand back to see the glisten before he hurriedly wiped it off on his shirt. But Geoff had seen it. 

 

“Gavin,” Geoff was barely suppressing a real growl. “What did you do?”

 

“It was the human I told you about, Geoff,” Michael explained calmly, not quite bold enough to put a hand on the man but refusing to let his anger consume them all. “They were together. It wasn't bad.”

 

“ _Bad_?” the guardian snarled. “You let some stranger have you! Someone who could have been a _Splicer_? What if he had been after your ADAM?”

 

Gavin shook his head but his throat felt swollen shut from the anguish of disappointment in his Big Daddy. Geoff came at him and he flinched but the man only took him by the shoulders and forced him to turn side to side, concerned eyes drinking up every mark on his skin. “He could have torn you apart. My sweet boy, look at you. He could've killed you and we would've found your body in here.”

 

“He wouldn't have hurt me,” Gavin promised.

 

Geoff huffed and went to the center of the room, circling the service panel before kicking it open. Gavin gasped with the clang of the metal and brought his knuckles to his mouth, teeth clamping down to keep from protesting.

 

“Stay,” Geoff shot the order at the other Big Daddy before he jumped down, disappearing into the floor.

 

“No,” Gavin whispered to himself, fingers curling protectively around the fibrous tags and held them to his chest. Michael thumbed away his tears and nosed at his temple. He clung to his Brother and pressed into his comforting touch. “He's going to kill him, Michael.”

  
  
“He won't catch him,” the other boy promised. “He's just worried about you. You were _with_ someone else, someone he'd never seen before.”

 

Gavin sniffled and picked up his head to look at the other Brother. “You hate me too, don't you?”

 

“Never, my dove,” Michael swore. He hugged the boy closer and buried his cheek in his soft hair. “He was a beautiful human.”

 

“He was _perfect_ ,” Gavin whined, the sound cutting off into a sob as he clung to his friend. “He said he loved me, Michael. He was so good to me and he made me feel so good. I-I felt _whole_ and pretty for the first time in my life. He gave me everything and now Geoff...he's going to...oh God, Michael, I've ruined everything.”

 

Gavin cried into the other boy's shirt, fingers curled tight in the soft material. Michael shushed him and pet over the back of his neck and shoulders, guilt sitting like a stone in his gut. “Do you love him?”

 

“With everything I am,” Gavin swore.

 

Michael chomped on his lip, pink lipstick smearing. “Don't be angry at me.”

 

Gavin picked up his head and frowned thoughtfully at the other boy. “Michael?”

 

“I had him too.” Michael teared up, nose scrunching up. “I'm so sorry, Gav. I didn't go as far as you did, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to taste a real human. Forgive me, I'm the worst Brother.”

 

Gavin smiled and shook his head, hugging the boy close. Michael was surprised but he held him back, hesitant relief trickling through him. “Gav?”

 

“It's okay,” Gavin promised as he pecked kisses over the boy's cheek and through his curls. “Then you know, Michael. You know how he feels. Did you feel complete? Wasn't he fantastic?”

 

Michael scratched through the other's fine hair, smile faltering a little. “I...I don't know if it was all that. He was lovely and quite nice to me. Maybe I didn't get the full treatment.”

 

“He made me feel _everything_ , like how Geoff makes you feel,” Gavin insisted. “You didn't get that?”

 

Michael shook his head sadly. “I guess he means more to you than to me. I'm – I'm happy for you, Gavvy.”

 

Gavin swooned into his arms and stole a chaste kiss. “I love him. I just met him but I want him forever. He was so beautiful and _mine_. My lovely human.”

 

Geoff emerged from the service tunnel with a deep scowl. He slapped the door shut and glared down at it. “He's gone.”

 

Gavin hid his sigh of relief.

 

“Fast brat,” the Big Daddy huffed. “Who was he?”

 

The boy shook his head, lips pursed.

 

“ _Who was he_?” Geoff roared, fists crackling with restrained electricity. Ray hid behind Ryan but the other Big Daddy wasn't scared. Instead the man looked confused. There was fear in Geoff's eyes and it concerned his friend. There was something Geoff wasn't saying, something else behind the mask of anger. Even his boys could see it for they did not shrink away. The display was desperate.

 

Geoff spotted Gavin fiddling with his necklace and his vision tunneled. “What is that?”

 

“N-Nothing,” the boy stuttered.

 

Teeth flashed in warning. “Are those ID tags? Where did you get those?”

 

Gavin shook his head and tried to hide the tags in his fist.

 

“Give them to me,” Geoff demanded, holding out his hand.

 

For the first time since they'd met, Gavin disobeyed and stepped away. “No.”

 

“Gavin!”

 

The boy took another step and closed his fingers tight around the disks. “They're mine.”

 

“I won't ask you again.”

 

“It's the only thing I have of him!” Gavin snapped defensively.

 

Geoff came at him and the boy trembled in fear, feet stuck in place. The man curled his much bigger hand around his fist and yanked up until Gavin had to get on his tip toes to keep the necklace from being ripped off. He wanted to beg but the stern look in his guardian's eyes kept him from blubbering. His free hand dug into Geoff's arm to help keep himself up but he never let go of Dan's ID tags.

 

Geoff reached down and grabbed a handful of his ass, the human's wet seed wetting his panties and threatening to leech into his skirt. “I doubt that's the only thing he gave you.”

 

Gavin flushed blood red and his eyes filled up with tears in shame. He let go and his hands dropped limply to his side. Geoff brought the tags up so he could read it better. He could decipher the print they'd put upon it and exactly what it meant. The tags truly belonged to a soldier.

 

“There are no soldiers down here,” Geoff breathed. “Gruchy.”

 

“Dan,” Gavin whispered, and when he blinked a tear tickled down his cheek. Geoff thumbed it away before he let the boy go. He walked away and Michael came up to hug his fellow Little Boy, shushing him and tucking the tags back into his shirt. Michael glared at his Big Daddy but the man looked a million miles away. There was a deep sadness etched into his brow and the curve of his lips.

 

“Geoff?” Ryan gruffed. When the man didn't answer he urged Ray to go comfort Gavin before he walked over to his friend. He put a hand on the man's shoulder. “The human... is he...?”

 

“There's something I haven't told you,” Geoff admitted. “If it's who I think it is, I've seen him before, this 'Dan'. I'm not sure exactly how or why he's here, but we need to find out. If anyone knows, it's probably Dr. Tenenbaum.”

 

“Andrew Ryan,” the other guardian grunted.

 

“That's true,” Geoff huffed. “If this human got in through the bathyspheres then Ryan must have had something to do with it. Maybe there's something in his office. We should put the boys in the apartment and head over there.”

 

Ryan nodded. “Protect them.”

 

Geoff smiled wearily and patted the man's back. “First and foremost, as always.”

 

~*~

 

Though their Little Boys put up a token protest, they were glad to have some time for themselves to coo over their upset dove. Geoff felt like the biggest cad in Rapture but he knew an apology now would just be a band-aid. He needed to unearth who this human was and show the reason for his concern. At the moment he was just another villain in a sunken city full of monsters but it was a role he would shoulder until he knew exactly what they were dealing with.

 

It was damn impossible to climb through the tower to Andrew Ryan's office. Half of it was sunken ad the other half was on fire. Something had happened here – it looked like the city had tried to swallow itself. They were just under Ryan's office and half the floor was missing so it was easy to climb up. It was nice for its half-ruined state. It was a bit like an alter to himself with busts of himself and everything gold-plated. They tried to keep their footing light but Ryan had to stick close to the walls with his extra weight.

 

“Maybe lay off those snack cakes, good buddy,” Geoff teased half-heartedly.

 

“Funny,” Ryan snorted.

 

There was a cracked glass wall and a door that led to a farther room. They edged through it and sneered at the rotted up corpse on the floor. It was well dressed enough that it wasn't hard to figure out who it was.

 

“Andrew Ryan.” Geoff scowled. “I never knew how he died. Poor bastard's got a gold club in his skull.”

 

Ryan grunted and took off his gloves, stuffing them in his side bag before letting his fingers talk for him. _Forgive me for not sympathizing with a man who essentially damned us._

 

“Well, you're not wrong there,” Geoff conceded as they continued through the room towards another hallway. “But we got our boys out of it.”

 

Ryan hurried to walk next to him so he could keep signing. _Not good enough. They would be up on the surface living normal lives if it wasn't for him and people like him._ The bigger man swallowed thickly and his fingers slowed to a mournful sway. _I would rather have Ray happy and without me than trapped here._

 

Geoff's eyes flickered to keep up. “You don't mean that and we both know it.”

 

Ryan faltered and he grit his teeth in frustration. “Enough.” His fingers continued when his voice cracked painfully. _I mean it as much as I can. I know I'm not all there, and I would go insane without him, but I do want what's best. And I know it's not Rapture._

 

Geoff puffed out a long breath. “Glad you chose today to be a chatty fuck.”

 

The man's scared eyes fell to the floor. “Sorry.”

 

Geoff felt the heaviness in his chest double and he put a hand in the man's sweep of blonde hair. “No, buddy, I'm sorry. My nerves are fucking shot from all of this.”

 

“The human?”

 

“Worse,” Geoff confessed. “I have a secret, Haywood. Something I've been keeping from the boys and even you. It's something I sealed up to keep the Splicers out...it's more than one man can handle, really. Hell, it's the only reason I haven't tried to bust us out of the city in the first place.”

 

Ryan's eye visibly twitched as what felt like a bolt of electricity shot through his mind. “Can't leave. ADAM in Rapture, Little Brothers in Rapture. A-All...all...”

 

“ 'All good things flow into this city', I know,” Geoff quoted flawlessly as he too recalled their harsh brainwashing. He could still feel the prick of needles and see the constant stream of videos about how Little Brothers were theirs to protect and no other job was half as important. He was grateful to be able to shake it off but he could see the conditioning falling over Ryan's face like a mask. His friend technically knew what was best but it was hard to counteract months of shock therapy.

 

Ryan shook it off as well as he could and let the man's gentle strokes through his hair bring him back to the present. They rounded the corner and the [far wall](http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/Would_You_Kindly?file=Would_You_Kindly.png) made them give pause. They looked at each other before they hesitantly approached it. There were papers scattered everywhere along a low, low desk and all along the wall, across the floor. Tacs and tape held up sketches and files and pictures – some connected by red string.

 

And spray painted on the wall were the jagged words **_Would You Kindly_**.

 

“I know these people,” Geoff murmured as he walked up to the wall, boots crunching in dirty pages. He reached out and ran gloves fingers over the main pictures in the center of the wall. Suchong, Tenenbaum, Andrew Ryan, Fontaine, Jasmine Jolene – and a blacked out picture of a man's face tacked hastily to a picture of a man he'd seen before. Beside the image on a faded file the word ' _Ace?'_ was scrawled in old pencil. “This is Jack.”

 

Ryan was working his way around the room, frowning and squinting at the pages on the ground. “Jack?”

 

“Remember Sophia Lamb's cultists? The 'Rapture Family'. They fucking worshiped this guy,” Geoff reiterated. Some of the pictures on the bench were of Jack _in_ Rapture from security cameras. He held up one towards his friend. “Is this the human you saw?”

 

Ryan looked at it and did a double take. His eyes got all round and he nodded, gesturing solidly. “Him!”

 

“You sure?”

 

He handed over the picture and Ryan's excitement calmed down as he took it and peered at it closely. “No. Maybe. Close.”

 

Geoff swallowed thickly. “Like a brother? Or a twin?”

 

Ryan frowned uncertainly and it made the other man's stomach churn sourly. Geoff turned back to the wall and knocked his knuckle against a poster of Jasmine Jolene. “M-Michael has this poster, you know. Says she's one of his favorites. He has one of her old dresses in his closet.”

 

Ryan was kneeling on the floor going through the pages with a pinched brow.

 

Geoff walked along the bench and came across a log tape that had a label that read “Mind Control Test”. He fished the player out of his bag and put the tape inside, rewinding it before letting it play. The sound of a barking puppy filled the room and then the voice of a man he hadn't heard in a long time. Suchong.

 

' _Is that your puppy? She's very pretty_.'

 

A little boy on the tape thanked him.

 

' _Break her neck for me_.'

 

The little boy was outraged, Geoff was gaping.

 

' _Break that sweet puppy's neck._ '

 

' _No...please..._ '

 

' _Break that puppy's neck – would you kindly?_ '

 

' _No, no._ '

 

Suchong praised the boy on the tape and it shut off. Geoff looked at the words on the wall with new eyes. **_Would You Kindly_**. These simple words could truly mean so much more. Ryan whined and it caught his attention. The man was on his knees with a pile of papers between his hands that were held up like an offer. Geoff took them and started to flick through them. They were growth charts and hormones lists, test results, all for this 'Jack'. He came across a familiar spec layout and his flipping became faster, mouth dropping open dumbly.

 

“The steroids, the outcome...” Geoff muttered before he cleared his throat and looked at his baffled friend. “She – Dr. Tenenbaum, who helped get ADAM going and make the Little Brothers – she said 'they' shared everything. The 'Ace in the Hole', 'Project Wildcard' – it's starting to make sense. This Jack...he had a twin. He's supposed to be dead. And if Jack was a sleeper agent, maybe there was another.”

 

Ryan's brows were furrowed.

 

“I know you didn't look through the lab after we were released, but I did. But I must have missed something,” Geoff stated as he flipped the pages around for Ryan to see the schematic for Jack. “See this? Maybe we didn't come from them directly, or them from us, but we're related. We were made alongside each other. Look at this! He's almost identical to our schematics but without the baking that made us fucking giants. All the hormones and steroids and even the dumb Plasmid-receptivity!”

  
Geoff's voice had sped up as he got excited but he started to deflate the long he looked at the papers. “But maybe this kid had nothing to do with it. Why would they list him as deceased?”

 

Ryan whined in the back of his throat and Geoff automatically put his hand out to caress his jaw.

 

“None of this matters until we can find out what 'Project Wildcard' is. Maybe this kid is everything, maybe he's nothing. I'm not going to get tangled up in this until I know the truth.”

 

Geoff sighed and smiled weakly into those damaged big blues. “I want to know why he's here.”

 

Ryan nodded and blanketed the hand on his face. “Me too.”

 

“I know where Tenenbaum's apartment is.”

 

~*~

 

From the Little Wonders Educational Facility it took some fighting and running past security bots to get to the converted Memorial Museum. The place was crawling with Splicers and he tore his way into it. He got clipped in the shoulder and along the thigh and it sent him stumbling into the bathroom area. He knew he worked himself into a corner but he hid in one of the stalls to reload his shotgun with bloody hands. He slipped along the shells and cursed, pain making his eyes water and his head throb.

 

“Fucking hell,” Dan griped as the casings clattered to the floor.  He heard the shrill screams of the Splicers and then a hiss of an explosive. “What the bloody – ?”

 

Then there was an explosion. Dan's vision went white and the world went out from under his feet. He couldn't scream as dust swirled up around him. He grabbed at his bag to protect it and tried to roll when his feet touched the ground. Pain shot up his shins and his knees banged against the floor but he managed to go with the momentum and keep his bones from splitting.

 

Dan sprawled out on his side and coughed out the grit that he'd sucked in. He waited until his body had adjusted to the pain and his endorphins had kicked in before he pried his eyes open. He was somewhere dark and there was a shaft of light coming from the hole in the ceiling. He was in some kind of employee area and the Splicers were still above them. Dan dragged himself along the debris-riddled floor to get behind a row of lockers. There were hisses and more threats pouring from the hole so he waited it out.

 

Dan wasn't sure how long he sat there half-hidden trying not to pant out out pain but eventually they left. He grabbed the half-busted locker and dragged himself to his feet. He rifled through his bag and from what he could tell it was all intact. He sucked in a few breaths and started limping to the nearest door. He opened it up but the ceiling was collapsed there. The soldier pushed at rubble and slabs of metal and eventually found a soft spot where he could pull out a chunk of concrete and pull out a beam. His fingers ached by the end of it but there was a sizeable hole for him to wiggle through. He pushed his bag through first and tossed his shotgun after it, his pistol, crossed himself, and then started crawling through. It was a tight fit and he whimpered when the bullet wounds on his arm and leg dragged against rough edges but he made it through. He parted the rips in his clothing to look at the wounds and they weren't deep but they were bleeding. His ankles felt swollen and hot but he would survive. If he found some ADAM, maybe he could try and heal himself.

 

Dan found himself in a laboratory. He couldn't remember how far down he'd been when he'd fallen but this area wasn't on the map he'd found in the top of the museum. He thought he'd been in the basement. Maybe this was what he was looking for. The circular room had a massive computer system in the middle of it and punctuated like a clock were tubes that looked like it would fit a massive man like who he was assumed was Ray's Big Daddy. There was still power here too. Each pod's lid was open but one of the farthest looked smashed open and dented.

 

Dan was suppressing pained moans as he got himself over to the nearest filing cabinet. He was getting fucking sick of them. He yanked it open and started flicking through the tabs. There were only a dozen personnel files in one and the second drawer had specifics of this project. He took a pile into his arms and limped over to the nearest table. He dumped them there and started sorting them, flipping on the lamp so he could see better.

 

The Beta Series. They were different from the previous strains of Big Daddies. The genetically altered creatures weren't just for guarding Little Brothers, they were maintainers of the city. There were Bouncers to mainly protect Little Brothers, Rosies, and the Alpha Series. One of the last notes on the Alphas was that they were predicted to dissolve into failure. There was something about a “Subject Delta” but the paper had gotten wet and he couldn't decipher it.

 

This Beta Series was something different, something evolved and made to be superior to the Alpha Series. The schematics were impressive. Roughly two heads taller than a normal man, muscled, more durable flesh and the goal of heightened speed and strength. Dan opened up both Series' files and compared them with his limited knowledge of science. They were meant to be more centered on the Little Brothers and 'imprint' upon them like animals did. Unlike the previous Big Daddies, this Series was designed to be as human as possible. They weren't meant to work on the city like the other creatures were and they wouldn't be grafted into dive suits. The key to their completion was something called “The Chamber” that apparently was in this lab. It was some kind of human cooker that they used to finish off the process after 'therapy' and the first round of treatments. Though some of the paper was nearly ruined he could see that it could submerge a subject and they'd be hooked up to receive heavy doses of steroids and health treatments for a long period of time.

 

They were incredible creatures.

 

Dan put the files aside and started going through the stack of files for the “volunteers” for this project. There were only a dozen and he opened every one of them to look at the profile pictures and read what he could. Each name brought another sad story and his chest got a little tight. They had all seemed to be good, upstanding men who had fallen on hard times one way or another. They weren't volunteers by a long shot. The poor bastards had been abducted and apparently shoved in the same area together.

 

_Baird, Adam_

_Burns, Michael_

_Dooley, Jeremy_

_Ellis, Adam G._

_Fink, Geoffery_

_Fischbach, Mark E._

_Gibson, Blaine_

_Haywood, James R._

_Hullum, Matthew_

_Ornelas, Joshua_

_Marquis, Aaron_

_Taylor, Kyle_

 

All of these lives had been ruined, reduced to hulking brutes with discolored skin and fried brains. Dan flipped to the one for the man named “Mark” and he he found a handsome, smiling face beaming up at him. Dark hair and pale skin, some ethnicity laced into his features. Like with the files for the Little Brothers, some of these files had audio logs.

 

 **Name:** _Mark Edward Fischbach_ **  
Age:** _25  
_ **Occupation:** _Lounge Singer, Comedian  
_ **Family:** _N/A  
_ **Acceptation To Program:** _Fired for Treasonous Speech, potential rebel  
_ **Defects:** _Empathetic, difficult to enrage  
_ **Recommended Charge:** _#78 (Narvaez), #45 (O'Donovan), #40 (Avidan)  
_ **Final Success Rate:** _83%_

“Ray,” Dan murmured fondly. It seems that a recommendation wasn't enough to bond. He looked carefully through the other files but froze when he saw the file for Haywood. A handsome, calm face was waiting for him inside. It was much different from the snarling beast that had tried to crush his head not too long ago.

 

 **Name:** _James Ryan Haywood_ **  
Age:** _34  
_ **Occupation:** _Professor  
_ **Family:** _Wife (deceased, COD: Interrogation, alleged rebellion involvement)  
_ **Acceptation To Program:** _Terminated for Treasonous Speech, Homeless  
_ **Defects:** _Poor overall control, aesthetics (eye scarring, surgical error in vocal chords)  
_ **Recommended Charge:** _#4 (Heyman)  
_ **Final Success Rate:** _3.2%_

There was a tape with it and he put it in quickly and pushed play, putting his ear to the machine so he didn't miss a word. The scientist who spoke sounded very professional but almost like someone more important was looking over his shoulder.

 

' _Haywood was our first designated subject, the first one we were allowed to really touch, and he seems to be the embodiment of all our mistakes. Though, through him, we have found that a gradual increase of hormone and steroid treatment is best. The overload left him quite aggressive and with the following high level electroshock treatments to calm him he developed emotional retardation. He's been difficult from the start and extra restraints and 'therapy' have been recommended. We paired a flush of ADAM with the electricity and it only made things worse. Plus, he's much too large to be introduced to the public. We seemed to have failed on aesthetics and practically with this one._ '

 

The man on the log sighed and there was a sound like he fixing his clothing. Then paper shuffling.

 

' _We introduced him to a Little Brother for the first time yesterday. Number sixty-five, Caleb Denecour, a waif of a boy. Haywood doesn't seem to remember the incident at all and there were only a few of us present so we've managed to contain the scuttlebutt. He...he snapped the boy's spine in two. The poor, stupid beast doesn't know his own strength. We sent him to another round of therapy to help erase it completely. I've put down a recommendation for one of the older, first-round picks. Uh, number four..._ '

 

There were more shuffling papers.

 

' _Yes, Heyman. He's a sturdy boy and growing fast. He's one of the candidates for the “Big Sister” program when he grows up a bit more. I put this down with trepidation. From what Suchong has stated, Haywood won't be presented with the others. He wants a round, even number to give to Ryan but I'm going to put in my two cents for immediate incineration. I won't see another Little Brother die because of the monster we've made. They're too expensive. By the end of the week, he'll be burning up or put into The Chamber for the last step of the process. Haywood is, officially, a failure._ '

 

“Christ,” Dan spat. They had really treated these men like animals. He'd seen this 'Haywood' up close but the man had gone through so much...they'd nearly killed him. How someone could survive so many rounds of electroshock therapy was beyond him. They'd ruined him – they'd bleached his brain with chemicals and re-wired him. The giant who had tried to kill him had once been a handsome professor with kind eyes. He admired the picture with a half smile before carefully sliding it back in place, tucking the file away into his bag.

 

Dan closed his eyes and mulled over the events with Gavin, shying away from their brief intimacy and trying to focus on what he'd heard outside the door. He could have sworn he'd heard names. 'Ryan', for sure. In the hall someone had been yelling for him. So James Haywood was this Ryan, this Big Daddy to that small Ray. There had been another name that looked familiar. Jeff? No.

 

_Fink, Geoff._

 

Dan flipped open the file for the name he'd spotted before and frowned at it.

 

 **Name:** _Geoffery Lazer Ramsey (born: Geoffery Fink, took wife's name)_ **  
Age:** _39  
_ **Occupation:** _Artist (skin and common canvas)  
_ **Family:** _Ex-wife  
_ **Acceptation To Program:** _Chronic alcoholism, squatting, vandalism of city property  
_ **Defects:** _Retained Intelligence  
_ **Recommended Charge: _*_** _#10 (Jones)  
_ **Final Success Rate:** _94.7%  
_ _*_ _Only recommended match. Both scored in high nineties of success. Reacted well to LB's hormones._

 

There was an audio log inside the file and he was more hesitant to put it in. If this was Gavin's protector then this was the man he would have to get through to save his love. He rubbed his thumb along the play button for a few minutes before he gathered up enough courage to push it down. The soldier took a steadying breath and put the device close to his ear.

 

' _There's something wrong with Ramsey. He hasn't voiced a single complaint the entire time he's been here. And not in the way Taylor and Dooley have given up. The life's gone from their eyes, but Ramsey is very much aware of everything and he's become complacent. Cooperative, even. I'm not sure if it's the agreeable attitude but his body seems to be working with us too. He's accepted the injections well and is responding in all the right way to the hormone treatments_. _When he first got here, Dr. Suchong took him into a room I've never heard of before. Heard he was kicking and screaming the whole way but by the time he came out he was as docile as a kitten. I don't get it. The guy's a bit fucked up in the head if you ask me_.'

 

There was a sharp click and then someone cleared their throat before another scientist spoke up, this one juts as lax but younger. Someone chuckle in the background, the voice from before.

 

' _Shut up. This one's a natural born leader. He's my favorite,_ ' the younger one laughed before his voice got louder like he'd gotten closer to the mic. ' _If the Beta Series ever gets up off the ground and everything goes well, I'm going to put in the paperwork for this one to imprint on number ninety-six. I know Suchong has written in his file to bond with the Jones kid but I'm thinking of the much bigger picture here besides our two biggest successes getting shoved together as a display case for Ryan. From what I've seen of Free, the Little Boy's a natural. These two together would collect more ADAM than three bonded pairs combined_.'

 

There was a small argument before the older, informal voice came back.

 

' _He's a little too much like a man, though. Wouldn't want him to realize how much power he truly has. We've got to put him through another round of high-intensity electroshock therapy before we present him properly. I know the procedure notes say not to pair ADAM with the electricity because – look at Haywood – we don't need that again. Ramsey's surely our best outcome yet. Kenneth here is right about him being a leader, though. We've kept the potential Beta Series all in the same large room together with reinforced glass and he's gotten friendly with them. Our lab rat, Haywood, seems to act out when he hears Ramsey's screaming or when we take him out of sight. We're going to have to separate them eventually. There's trouble in a bond like that_.'

 

Dan put the audio log down and stared down at the file for a while. Geoff had a handsome, bearded face with intense eyes that he was sure were marvelous in color. There was something wrong with all this. Why was Geoff all but willing to such torture while the others in this Series obviously fought tooth and nail all the way? Did he _want_ to become a Big Daddy? He and Ryan had been friends before this too, from the cage to the end of the line. That meant they traveled together. And that talk about being paired with number ninety-six – that was Gavin.

 

Geoff had been predicted to bond with Michael and Gavin since the beginning.

 

Dan leaned back in his seat and scrubbed his palm over his face. In all of this, how did he fit? Why did Tenenbaum want him to see this? He knew of the Little Brothers and their Big Daddies, and he knew that they were genetically altered to be attracted to each other like animals. The boys had been brainwashed into wanting to be delicate little girls to hunt ADAM, and the Daddies had been jacked up into the ultimate protectors. Michael had nearly been turned into a woman, Ray was disobedient, Haywood was considered a failure, and Geoff had for some reason allowed himself to be turned into the ultimate ADAM-fueled weapon. This place truly was a Hell in and of itself.

 

If anyone knew who he really was or how he related to all this, it was Tenenbaum.

 


	15. What We Were Meant To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth comes to light.
> 
> \---
> 
> “I’m not going to live in the dark anymore!” Michael barked with finality, fingers spanning over the file and pinching hard at the sides. “I refuse. I’d rather know for sure than to keep living like a stupid fool pretending that things have always been this way. I want to know why we’re here.”

 

 

( _Big thank you to[iwillmeetyouinuthenera ](http://iwillmeetyouinuthenera.tumblr.com/post/109325323406/god-i-love-all-of-emono-omae-ah-aus-im-so-glad)for panty!Michael, gorgeous work, really blown away_ )  
( _More artwork? Check out[iwatchedyoufall's ](http://iwatchedyoufall.tumblr.com/post/108314543526/if-he-hadnt-already-been-fooled-by-ray-he)work - Michael caught in the El Dorado lounge, I put it in it's appropriate chapter_ )  
 _Reblog and like and show these hard working artists some love <3_

     

* * *

 

 

Mercury Suites. It was where the big wigs of Rapture had settled with their wealth when the city was at its finest. Though there were many areas that were swathed in shades of blue, there was the usual boastful gold leaf on everything. It was swarming with tumorous, hungry Splicers but Dan had quick feet and was developing quite the aim. He'd taken his remaining ADAM and managed to heal up his two bullet wounds but the ache was still there. He'd taken another to the calf trying to get away and it had nearly sent him into shock.

 

Dan managed to lose the gang that had been on his trail and he'd all but fallen into the suite with number that he'd found in the Proving Grounds with the Big Daddy files. The door slid shut and he pressed his back against the wall, waiting, and heard them passed. He bent down and clamped a hand on his bleeding calf to test the damage. He sucked in sharp breaths and tried not to scream in frustration with the way ruby gushed under his palm and stained his pants even further.

 

The apartment was wrecked, tossed over and ransacked. He started to walk forward and ended up stumbling to the ground. Dan barely caught himself from busting his face and he clutched hard at his calf, the source of his agony. The bullet had gone right through but that only gave the blood more room to escape. Everything he was wearing was filthy and even a makeshift tourniquet would muck up the wound. He needed a first aid kit.

 

Dan got himself to his feet and started rummaging through the broken bookcases and the turned over desks, looking for a medical cross on anything at this point. He found Tenenbaum's bathroom nearly intact and when he opened the front of the sink mirror he sighed in relief. It was a clean kit. When he took it down his knuckles smacked into a loose panel in the back. He drew his hand away quickly but the cheap material gave and exposed a full, glowing syringe with a note tied to it inside a hidden alcove. Dan wrinkled his nose and hesitated, unsure of exactly what he'd unearthed. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around it, some dust gritting against his fingers. The note was simple.

 

_For Daniel,_

_I hoped you would get wounded. There are other hidden vials throughout the apartment  
_ _just in case you were too swift for Splicer bullets._

_This is the Plasmid I've perfected to save the Little Brothers.  
Use it, leech the ADAM from their bodies, destroy the slug in their bellies_

_Take them from this place._

_-Brigid Tenenbaum_

 

Dan stared down at the syringe with a sense of trepidation. There was a minimalist picture of a Little Boy's face on the label and he ran his thumb over it. This was a Plasmid to same that mind-altering, addictive drug out of the Little Boy's forms and maybe even clear their heads. His chest ached at the thought of injecting himself with an unlabeled drug but what was he supposed to do? He didn't know how else to get the boys to see reason. It was one more Plasmid out of – what – half a dozen? He could crackle with electricity and conjure fire, this potion was nothing.

 

“Last one,” he promised as he signed a quick cross over his chest. He put his thumb over the plunger, closed his eyes, and buried the needle in his forearm. A scream ripped out of his throat and his vision exploded into white, pink tinging along the edges. He thought he heard squealing, some kind of high pitch bell, and then it all stopped.

 

Dan's body collapsed gracelessly and he fell with a heavy thud.

 

The empty syringe fell out of the curl of his fingers and blood dribbled from the fresh wound on his arm but he did not stir.

 

o0o

 

Ryan cleared the main lobby of Mercury Suits in a roaring tornado of fire. Splicers fell in piles ash and smeared black streaks across the floor. The man was a true beast and he left nothing alive as he seared them a path all the way into the halls and up to Tenenbaum's apartment (with Geoff's direction, of course.) They got inside without much effort though the door threatened to stick twice as it tried to roll up to allow them entry. The apartment was trashed like most of the city but more looted than purposefully destroyed.

 

“Look for a filing cabinet, a briefcase, any kind of folder. Something about 'Project Wildcard'. The file was missing from the lab. If it's anywhere, it's here.”

 

The two began to search the living room and slowly spread out, searching through every book and peeking under every piece of broken furniture. They tapped on walls and slid their fingers along the trim to look for loose plates or hidden slots. There was nothing until they got to the bedroom. Ryan had easily lifted the mattress and beneath the box-springs was a slim box that could have held an expensive scarf. It would have been looked over by the larger Big Daddy but Geoff's eyes were sharp.

 

“Hold on.”

  
  
Geoff squatted down and snagged the box before gesturing. “Drop it.”

 

Ryan plopped the mattress down and frowned at the box. “Pretty?”

 

“No, I don't think so,” Geoff stated as he laid the box down on the dusty sheets and flipped off the lid. It was a messy stack of papers. The file, and possibly more. He breathed a sigh of relief just as there was a gasp of surprise near the doorway. Both Big Daddy's looked up and they spotted a filthy, bloody figure standing there.

 

The human.

 

“Ryan. Get him.”

 

A fierce snarl came upon the human's face to mimic the sight on Ryan's own. He stood his ground and when the Big Daddy came at him and swung, he caught his fist – the impact cushioned by a blaze of fire that melted the man's glove and slowed his momentum to a standstill. Ryan roared and yanked his hand back, staring down at the blistered skin and melted fibers. Normal fire couldn't make a mark on his retardant clothes but an ADAM-fueled blaze ate right through it.

 

“Yeah, you bastard, I'm not so helpless this time,” Dan declared smugly, fire swirling thickly around his fist as he glared down the monster. “I hate to rob you of your bloodthirst, but I'm stronger than I look.”

 

Ryan's face went blank and golden swirls wrapped up his arms, filling his eyes and coating his burned fingertips. He raised his hand and there was a shimmer around his digits like heat coming off asphalt under the baking sun. Dan's determined scowl softened and some fear crept back into his face, his calf throbbing painfully with each thick pump of his heart.

 

_Is that a Plasmid I've never seen or is he healing?_

 

Dan got his answer as a dozen invisible hands grabbed at his limbs and clothes, twisting and grasping until he started to lift off the ground. The levitation was only for a few seconds but they stretched on into an eternity. Dan stared, dumbstruck, and his stomach bottomed out as bile bubbled in the back of his throat. Seconds stretched to years as his feet came up off the floor. Telekinesis.

 

“No,” Dan begged quietly, gaze fixed on the sluggish flex of the Big Daddy's fingers.

 

Dan was thrown suddenly with a sharp jolt that ripped the air from his lungs so he couldn't even scream. He hit the wall and he was sure he felt his shoulder crack in two places, head bouncing off the plaster and putting little specks of light behind his lids. He slid down the wall and fell in a heap on the floor, chest heaving as he tried to cough back his breath. Still stunned, Dan clawed weakly at the floor and tried to get enough grip to sit up. He blinked the daze from his eyes and saw the two Big Daddies approaching him.

 

Ryan grabbed him by the throat and pinned him, a foot in his stomach to keep him tight against the wall. He showed his teeth and Dan cowered, saturated in pain from the pressure on his ribs. He tried to take a full breath but it was little more than a wheeze and the man's heel dug in harder. He raised his head and tried to find pity in Haywood's eyes but his entire face was set in a stern mask of indifference. There would be no mercy here.

 

Ramsey approached, blue eyes a stark contrast to the grey tone of his flesh. “Listen, boy.”

 

The human steeled his jaw.

“We're going to find some rope to tie you up, make it easier for Ryan here to carry you,” Ramsey informed him calmly. “But I see you got your hands on some Plasmids. If you try to burn through them or act out at all, I'll slit your throat. You got that?”

 

Dan's upper lip drew back in an ugly snarl.

 

“Or I can get Ryan here to crush your head, if you prefer?”

 

“I'm not going quietly,” Dan promised fiercely. “I know what you are. I know what this place has done to you. But I am _not_ going down with this ship. You can't make me! So let me go!”

 

Geoff gave an impatient sigh and knelt down in front of the human. He stared into Gruchy's face and admired the chiseled jaw, the fine lips, the aristocratic nose and the high sweep of his cheeks. He was a handsome boy. He thought of Michael in this human's lap, his pretty pink mouth working his cock in hopes of tasting human seed. And Gavin – oh, his small Gavin – the boy mewling below Dan and begging for more, to be filled and loved so completely. Geoff wasn't sure if it made him sick or proud but whatever the emotion was it sat sourly in the base of his gut.

 

He curled his thumb under the human's chin and raised his head just that much more. Geoff spoke in a slow, sure tone even as the words came with great difficulty. “Cooperate...would you kindly?”

 

The effect was instantaneous. Dan's eyes went distant, glazed – his body slack under Ryan's boot. He blinked slowly at Geoff and there was pure submission in every inch of the human. The sheer power of the words sent a shiver down the Big Daddy's spine. How had the phrase become so deeply ingrained in the boy's head? What had been done to him to force such obedience into him?

 

Ryan was marveling at it too. It took Geoff returning with a long coil of rope and commanding him to tie the human up for him to shake out of it. They bound him up as best they could and with a simple command Dan opened his mouth for shorter bit of rope to be shoved between his teeth and knotted at the back of his head.

 

Geoff did one last sweep of the apartment and found the human's sturdy medical bag. There wasn't just supplies and ammunition in there but also familiar files, and three more he'd never seen before.

 

“Holy hell.”

 

o0o

 

Geoff wasn’t expecting the best reaction when they got back to the apartment but he still winced at the mournful wail that came out of his sweet Gavin at the sight of the bloody, filthy human. Ryan had dumped Dan by the wall and the skinny Little Brother had descended upon him with worried coos and trembling hands.

 

“My Daniel, my human,” Gavin had whined pathetically.

 

Ryan made to drag the Little Brother away with a warning grunt but Geoff had waved him off.

 

“Let him lament over the stupid boy.”

 

Geoff took the human’s bag to the small dining room and dumped it out on the table there. “I have our files.”

 

“Our what?” Ray asked, brows knit in confusion.

 

Geoff waved the folder pointedly. “It’s who we were before. They kept files on all of us. There’s tapes too. I knew Ryan and I had one, but you boys do too.”

 

Michael and Ray were standing near their fellow Little Brother, each with a hand on his shoulder, but they exchanged a sparking, curious glance. Files. The word stuck in their ribs and they both felt a shudder of need. Neither had clear memories of their before-life and the opportunity to see it on paper was one they didn’t want to pass up.

 

Gavin gave them a tiny nod. “Go.”

 

“Gav-”

 

“It’s fine,” the small boy assured them with a sad smile. “You guys go. I…I’ll stay here with him. I don’t want my file.”

 

While his two friends rushed over to find their files among the small pile of folders, Gavin got up and got a pillow from the couch and a bottle of clean water from the provisions stash they had. He dropped back down beside the blinking, trembling human. He eased the pillow under Dan’s head and cooed his name until those doe eyes cleared. Dan was shaking off some kind of fog and when he came to he looked frightened. Gavin’s name was muffled behind the rope and a ruby droplet stained his chin.

 

“I’m right here,” Gavin promised as he worked at the knot at the back of the man’s head. The rope relaxed and he eased the rough material from Dan’s bloodied lips.

 

“My darling,” Dan rasped, relief crumpling his features. Gavin pecked a kiss on his sore mouth and the older groaned, a sob catching in his throat. The Little Brother lifted the man’s head and eased the tip of the bottle to his lips. The human sighed and his eyes fell closed as he sipped the nectar and relaxed into Gavin’s chest, allowing the boy to coddle him. The adrenaline of the fight, the lingering haze of the command, and the pulse of his wound had rendered him useless. All Dan wanted to do was sink into his paramour’s arms and breathe in his clean scent, enjoying his long fingers and how they stroked through his hair and supported the back of his neck. The boy whimpered and murmured _your leg_ with distress when he saw the glistening patch of crimson along the human’s calf.

 

“Please, let me untie him,” Gavin begged, eyes dancing between Ryan’s passive face and Geoff’s scowling one. “He won’t fight. Look at him! He’s _hurt_.”

 

Ryan’s nose scrunched up as he saw the way the Little Brother hunched over the human. “Gavin. Come away.”

  
Gavin shook his head and a few loose tears plopped in Dan’s ruffled hair. He settled the human down as comfortably on his side as he could before he started touching around the wound, fingertips glowing faintly to try and staunch the bleeding. Under the glow of ADAM, cells began to rejuvenate and skin knitted back together. Gavin chomped sharply into his fingers, ignoring Dan’s weak protest, and rubbed the bloody digit around the wound to try and speed it along.

 

“Gavin, no,” Dan begged, breath coming in a hiss through his teeth as pure fire seemed to bloom around the wound. “God, help me – what is that?”

 

“Hush, my Daniel,” Gavin crooned soothingly, eyes glowing bright. “Let the ADAM help.”

 

-

 

It started out with a sniffle and only went downhill as the audio log played.

 

' _We may as well throw this one in the discard pile_ … _I'd smack him around too but he's just a little mutt. There's no reason to bruise the merchandise, even if it's faulty...His father must have done a number on him_.'

 

Soft sobs were muffled by clumsy fingers as they filled the apartment. Fat tears rolled down Ray’s face and he covered it to hide the ugly pull of his mouth. He accidentally knocked his glasses off and his Big Daddy caught them, using one hand to scoop the boy up and bring him into his lap. They sat together on the floor and Ryan husked out comforting words, jaw tight as he tried not to let his heartache show.

 

“Defective,” Ray choked out. “M-My parents…they didn’t…Ryan, they didn’t _want me_.”

 

Ryan shushed him and brought his head into the crook of his throat and shoulder. “Beloved babe,” he mumbled in his ear as he stroked down his back. He let Ray shake apart in his secure grip and peppered kisses in his hair. He looked over at Gavin and the thin Little Boy had tears in his eyes as well from hearing the audio log, the human draped across his lap. He was massaging Dan’s bound limbs to keep the blood circulating and the man had his face hidden in the boy’s stomach.

 

Michael was sitting primly on top of a footstool with his file in his lap, hands folded on top of it. He was staring at the carpet and when he spoke it was with a forced, cheery tone. “Ryan…why don’t you look at yours next?”

 

Ryan shook his head and pressed his cheek to his charge’s hair.

 

“ _Yes_ ,” Michael hissed. “We’re going to do this together as a family. I don’t care h-how-” He faltered and had to piece his voice back together. “How _painful_ it is. We can all sit here and read these to ourselves and blubber all over ourselves or we can find some strength in this and know where we came from. What if we’ve met before? What if we’re related? I’d rather have something triggered and cry than to never know.”

 

Ray sat up in his guardian’s lap and furiously swiped at his wet cheeks. “I _can’t_ , Michael. My heart hurts, please.”

 

“I’m not going to live in the dark anymore!” Michael barked with finality, fingers spanning over the file and pinching hard at the sides. “I _refuse_. I’d rather know for sure than to keep living like a stupid fool pretending that things have always been this way. I want to know why we’re here.”

 

A strange look came over Geoff’s face but the man didn’t say anything.

 

Michael tucked a stray curl behind his ear and put on a pleasant smile. “Ryan, please.”

 

Ryan sighed and nodded, taking up his file and tape and putting them in Ray’s lap. The boy couldn’t quite dry his eyes with his heart so broken but he did manage to switch the tapes and open the file. Ray cleared his throat and sniffled before he read it out loud. “ ‘James Ryan Haywood’. What a nice name, Daddy. Wow, you were a professor and you…you had a-a wife. It says she might’ve been part of the rebellion against Ryan. I’m so sorry.”

 

Ryan let out a wounded noise and clenched his eyes shut. It was his turn to hide his face and Ray whimpered when he felt the man’s tears soak into his shirt. He huffed a few big breaths before he turned his head and peeked at the file, temple still pressed to the boy’s shoulder. Though his chest felt like it was going to collapse on itself, he was relieved to see there was no mention of a child. He struggled to recall this wife, to see her face, but it was like there was a human-shape cutout in his memory. “C-Can’t remember…”

 

Ray stroked his jaw, thumb rubbing through golden bristles. Ryan nuzzled into it with a desperate edge. The boy felt sick at the thought of sleeping with a married man but there was a cheap balm to it knowing that she had passed long before they’d met. Ray put the new log in and pressed the play button with new determination. They wouldn’t let this hurt them. They were strong enough to handle the past no matter what it held.

 

As the audio played, each member of the group slowly broke down.

 

' _Haywood was our first designated subject, the first one we were allowed to really touch, and he seems to be the embodiment of all our mistakes.'_

 

Geoff leaned heavily on the table and closed his eyes, jaw tight as he listened to the cruel, clinical words.

 

_'The overload left him quite aggressive and with the following high level electroshock treatments to calm him he developed emotional retardation.'_

 

Michael bit his lower lip to stop the trembling there and his knuckles scraped against his own file.

 

' _We introduced him to a Little Brother for the first time yesterday. Number sixty-five, Caleb Denecour, a waif of a boy. Haywood doesn't seem to remember the incident at all and there were only a few of us present so we've managed to contain the scuttlebutt. He...he snapped the boy's spine in two. The poor, stupid beast doesn't know his own strength.'_

 

“No,” Ryan whimpered, teeth grit and eyes wet. “N-No, I never...”

 

Ray's eyes were wide as he stared down at the log. “Daddy?”

 

_'We sent him to another round of therapy to help erase it completely._

 

Dan's brow was furrowed and his love was silently petting him, smoothing his locks and the wrinkles of his shirt to try and keep himself calm.

 

 _'...but I'm going to put in my two cents for immediate incineration. I won't see another Little Brother die because of the monster we've made. They're too expensive. By the end of the week, he'll be burning up or put into The Chamber for the last step of the process. Haywood is, officially, a failure._ '

 

Ray slowly closed the file and set it aside before he curled his arms around his Big Daddy's shoulders. Ryan sank into the touch and bumped their heads together gently. “Failure. _Defective_.”

 

“We match,” Ray joked with a strained, halting smile and a desperate chuckle that fell flat. As Ryan cuddled the boy close to him, he made sure to keep his strength in check to the point where the other squirmed closer to try and feel more of him.

 

A hot breath puffed over his ear. “Never hurt you.”

 

The thought of a tiny Little Brother getting snapped in half in his guardian's strong arms made Ray sick all the way into his gut but he wasn't scared. This was his Daddy, his everything. Ray could only imagine Ryan so restrained and scared, out of his mind with drugs and fear and lashing out against his captors any way he could. Even if his rage had struck down another boy like him, he knew that Ryan would never let himself go like that again.

 

They protected one another and that was how it always would be. The past wouldn't get between them.

 

Ray cooed and pecked a shower of chaste kisses upon the man's scruff and the tight line of his lips. “It's okay, Daddy. We can be broken together, right?”

 

A single tear trickled down into Ryan's beard and his smile was frail. “Broken _together_.”

 

Michael's eyes dried a little and true warmth crept into his heart as he watched the couple exchange a slow, deep kiss. He turned his eyes to his boy with an expectant tilt of his head. “Dove?”

 

“I don't care what's in my file,” Gavin promised sincerely, fingers laced deeply in the human's grimy hair. The poor thing needed a bath and he was going to wipe him down himself if that's what it took. “I wanna’ hear about you, Michael.”

 

A stiffness came to the boy's shoulders but no nodded primly, keeping a stiff resolve as he flipped his file open on his lap. Geoff flinched and almost told the boy not to in an effort to save him from heartache, but there was little he could do for his family now. Maybe he wanted to keep the boys from the raw truth, but doing so was selfish. He couldn't rescind the offer he'd already given them. He wasn't cruel, and he wasn't a dictator.

 

Michael began to read off his file, starting at his name. “ 'Michael Vincent Jones, serial number – ten.' Wow, I was...I was one of the first.” He frowned thoughtfully. “I think I knew that. That I was...early.” His finger ran down the column and followed the letters. “ 'Highly sociable...true citizen...' My family was in oil! How exciting! How _fashionable_. I...”

 

The boy's voice trailed off and his frown became deeper. He tapped the file and made a few aborted noises before a shine came to his eyes.

 

“What is it, Michael?” Ray asked.

 

“ 'Adoption circumstance',” Michael read out slowly, voice starting to thread to pieces. “ 'Maternal suicide'. M-My mother...what could've...?”

 

He blinked hard before continuing on out loud. “ 'Defects. Behavior suggest future promiscuity Strong need to please may prove problematic.'”

 

He had to stop and clear his throat. “ 'Future promiscuity'...by the waves, what did...?”

 

“Stop,” Geoff begged as he stared sightlessly at the papers in front of him, fingers too clumsy to do anything with them as he heard his boy in pain.

 

“ 'Took well to reeducation, shows feminine qualities. Presented confusion on gender per-experiment. Attention s-seeking.' ” Michael choked and had to put a hand over his mouth. His lashes were wet but his cheeks were dry. So he _had_ been like this before becoming a Little Brother. They took a desire for a dress instead of slacks and twisted it further up inside him until he’d become _this_. But how? Why?

 

He swallowed audibly and closed the file and put it on the footstool beside him. Ray got out of his Daddy's lap and took the tape player over to his friend, kneeling down beside him and offering it.

 

“You shouldn't,” Geoff sighed out quietly to himself, heart in a vice within his chest. He wasn't sure if _he_ could take it.

 

Michael smacked the tape in and played it without hesitation. He tried to steel himself as the words started but there was fear rolling through his whole form. Ray took his friend's hand and stayed by his side, on his knees and kissing his knuckles in comfort.

 

_'Michael would have made a great little lady to the high class, hoity-toity family he came from. Fucking Jones', think they own the place because they brought in all that oil. Too bad his mother got knocked up by some bar fly and they kicked her out of the house.'_

 

Michael snarled quietly at the jab. “That's my mother, you son of a-”

 

“Michael,” Ray hushed gently.

 

_'He seemed more susceptible to the hormone treatments and we started giving him the heavier dosages to make him a proper girl but Dr. Tenenbaum put a stop to it. We barely managed to keep the good doctor out of the loop on the Doll Initiative. Can't have her knowing we plan to turn them all into girls.'_

 

Michael gaped in horror at the small device. Heavier dosages? What kind of treatment had they put him through?

 

“Turn us all into girls?” Michael echoed in disbelief. The hem of his skirt suddenly felt itchy and he was highly aware of the way his stockings rubbed against his skin.

 

_'It's hard to keep your hands off an eager little boy like that. We already had to fire Johnson for trying to peek up the kid's skirt. Claims the brat was flashing him on purpose.'_

 

Michael whined and Ray took his hand in both of his, whispering a soft assurance.

 

_'I can wait until he's a little older like a God damn gentleman, wait until he's got a nice set of tits on him and all those hormones have made his hips like a real woman. We've never had an incident like that before and we never will again.'_

 

The tape clicked off and Michael sobbed into his palm, the words ringing in his head until it was all he could hear. He was beyond horrified by the words and bile burned up into his throat. He clutched at Ray's hand and tried not to sputter nonsense. When he finally managed to calm himself, he lowered his hand to reveal a weak smile

 

“It's...it's good to know I was a whore from the start,” Michael sniffled pathetically as, tripping over the word 'whore'. He couldn't help but wonder what the scientists had done to him while under their care, if they touched him.

 

“Don't say that!” Ray begged.

 

“Michael, no,” Gavin crooned.

 

The boy's hands curled into tight fists. “I was a _child_. Those bastards.”

 

Geoff abandoned the important papers and walked up next to his boy, Ray moving aside to give them room. Geoff cupped his boy's smooth jaw and tilted his face up for a gentle kiss upon his rouged lips. Michael protested and tried to pull away but his Daddy held him firm. He gradually melted into it until he was sighing against the man's lips.

 

“My beautiful Little Boy,” Geoff breathed. “You're not a whore. What they did to you wasn't your fault. I didn't know...I didn't even think that they could've done that...I'm so sorry.”

 

Their lips slid together and Michael sighed in relief, hands tracing down the man's arms. He took comfort in the bulge of his muscles, the gentleness of his touch, and the hint of ADAM he left on his tongue from how thickly it pulsed through his veins. “I don't care what they did to you. You're still my perfect doll. My sweetest.”

 

Michael's eyes seemed to glow even brighter as he fluttered his lashes up at him. “Daddy.”

 

“Baby,” Geoff crooned back with sugar sweetness that made the Little Boy jump up and hug him. “Do you want me to destroy it? I'll burn every piece of evidence.”

 

Michael held onto him for a few moments before he made himself let go. “No. It's the only thing I have to remember that there was more of me, once.” He knelt down and picked back up the file to flick through it. There were a few pictures – The Jones Oil Company, him as a tiny kid in a plaid skirt, another of him surrounded by fellow Little Brothers, and finally a wallet size photo of a woman with long, loose curls and a solemn expression. “Look...it's my mother. See? How can I get rid of this?”

 

Geoff tilted the picture up and smiled sadly. “Look at that, doll, you have her freckles.”

 

“I _do_.”

 

Ray crawled back into his guardian's lap and Geoff scooped Michael up to take over to the loveseat. They sat together, Geoff petting ginger curls and soothing his charge as well he could. While Ryan stole chaste kisses, the older Big Daddy started husking out bits of a song none of them recognized. Michael dropped his head on the man's shoulder and drank in the comfort like cool medicine, letting the words soak into his muscles and relax him.

 

Dan sat up to look properly at his leg and the movement spurred Geoff into action.

 

“Stay here, baby doll.” He laid Michael down on the loveseat and fluffed a pillow under his head, fingers trailing down his pale arms before smoothing out his skirt. “There you go. Daddy's gotta' look at this file. I'm going to find out who this boy is.”

 

Michael knew nothing he said would change his guardian's mind so he just nodded, their hands touching until the man was out of range. He did his best to rest into the cushions and let the stress of what he learned melt away but it was hard with so much heartbreak in the room. He looked to Dan and the human was scowling at Geoff, eyes never leaving the Big Daddy's form even as Gavin's delicate hands fluttered over his shoulders.

 

“Ray,” Michael called softly until he caught the boy's attention. “Come here, little love. Let the men do what they need to do.”

 

Ray could taste the tension growing in the air and he reluctantly left his Big Daddy's arms with a last, lengthy kiss. Ryan wanted to protest but he knew t was true. It could get ugly if Dan's file showed something malicious and with the way Gavin was nuzzling and draping himself over the human, it would only get worse if they had to pry the two apart.

 

Geoff spread out Dan's files and found not only a basic profile but specs for the boy's very body. There were lists upon columns of drugs and there were pictures to go along with it. They very nearly matched what they had pulled off the wall of Jack's file. He frowned down at the pages and spread them out, eyes dancing over every column as he tried to figure out where the boy had been born. But the pictures went back to a dark haired baby in a crib with a dozen tubes and needles stuck in it to feed it who knows what kind of hormone cocktail. The list of chemicals was vaster than he could fathom and he’d been paying a lot of attention when they’d been pumping him full. While Jack’s file was full of scratchy, half-coded writing, Dan’s had the delicate swirl of a woman’s handwriting.

 

Ryan’s grunt caught his attention and he looked up, his fingers flicking into words. _Where’s he from? The surface?_

 

Geoff shook his head, face drained of color. “No, Ryan. He was born here. He was…created here.”

 

Dan’s scowl curled into a frown of confusion. “I was what?”

 

“You were hardly out of the womb before they were turning you into something else, something that suited _their_ needs,” Geoff growled out as he snatched up the front sheet. He stomped over and slapped the paper on the floor in front of the human. “Read it yourself.”

 

“This is ridiculous!” Dan declared. “I was born in England. I’ve never heard of this place, I’m not involved…with…”

 

Dan’s quieted as his eyes danced over the paper in front of him.

 

 **Name:** _Daniel Charles Ryan_  
 **Alias** : _Project Wild Card_  
 **Age:** _1 (appears mid-teens, at the moment)_  
 **Family:** _Andrew Ryan (father), Jasmine Jolene (mother), Jack (brother, twin)_  
 **Lead** **Scientist:** _Suchong_  
 **Features:** _Stabilization without ADAM. Multi-Plasmid capable.  
_ **Status:** _Confidential_

 

Geoff prowled back to the table. “You’re the ‘unnamed’ twin in Jack’s file. You were marked as deceased to throw everyone off the track. How the hell did you get down here, boy?”

 

“A pod,” Dan admitted, still staring down at his name in confusion. “A, uh, bathysphere, I guess. I was tricked into it. I just pulled a lever is all.”

 

“Andrew Ryan, that fucking bastard…every bathysphere in this city is linked to his genetic code. No one can leave without his permission. Only a few people can operate them. His elite, and his family.” Geoff scoffed. “You really are his son.”

 

“His what?” Dan snapped. “I have a father! And a mum. I know Ryan made this city, but who the bloody hell is ‘Jack’?”

 

“He was your brother.”

 

Dan visibly faltered. “My...what?”

 

“Your twin, actually.”

 

Ryan went to the bag that they had collected the papers on the wall in and took out a heavy stack. He shifted through them until he pulled out a picture from a security cam. He walked over and held it in front of the human with a grunt. Dan was ready to bite at his damn fingers in frustration but his fire dimmed when he saw the man's face in the photograph. It was almost his own – older, maybe, with a broader brow and a stronger jaw, but it certainly could have been.

 

Geoff poured over the pages and rage darkened his face. Pages crumbled under his grasp and he wanted to tear them up with his teeth. Half of it was water damaged but what he could read put stones in his stomach. The human had found evidence of brain washing, of the “Doll Initiative” and descriptions of horrible experiments that they had all been through. But it was Tenenbaum's notes and sketched diagrams that really hit him.

 

“There's a lighthouse,” Geoff spoke and the room grew dead quiet. “On the surface, above the waves. There was apparently a device inside it that was set to trigger twelve years exactly from the night of the riots that overturned the city. It sent a message into the world and brought you here...didn't it?”

 

“A telegram,” Dan admitted weakly.

 

“A telegram,” Geoff hissed. “They got you here with a piece of paper. How did they get you into the bathysphere?”

 

The human dropped his head, shame burning his cheeks. “A-An audio log. I wanted to know what the place was, where I was.”

 

Geoff scowled. “You little idiot. You fell right in line for them. You followed their trail of breadcrumbs – their Plasmids, their notes, the files. Did you inject Tenenbaum's elixir?”

 

Dan nodded dumbly.

 

“They fattened you up like a golden calf,” the Big Daddy mused out loud. “Why?”

 

While Geoff curiously fingered a tape that had fallen out of Dan's bag, Gavin laid an arm along the human's shoulders and kissed his cheek, fingers rubbing over his stubbled cheek. He was just as confused by the whole thing but he couldn't stand to see the hurt on his lover's face. “Don't fret, my Daniel. These people are tricky, some of the smartest in the world that lived under the sea. If they wanted you, you were bound to end up here.”

 

Dan grit his teeth in frustration. “Gavin, what...what am I?”

 

Gavin's smile never faltered. “I don't know, love.”

 

Geoff took an extra tape player and slipped the audio log inside (after inspecting it for water damage) and hit the play button. There was a long, scratchy delay before a voice came through. It was rich and young, maybe not a Little Boy but not far off. There was a delicate innocence there and it caught the attention of the entire room.

 

' _M-My name is Joel_ ,' the voice spoke up with a slight tremble. ' _A man came and tore through this city. They called him a miracle and a hero, but Mother called him Jack._ _I tried to follow the Brothers who flocked to him and I lost my Big Daddies. I'm...I'm alone now._ ' There was a pounding sound and the boy whimpered. _'Except for the Splicer outside, I guess. But I don't think he wants to be my friend.'_

 

There was a breathless, worried sound as the pounding grew louder. ' _A dozen of my Brothers went with the hero. But there are more. He didn't get them all. There are more, like me, and they aren't safe. Mother said there's another coming – a savior, the cavalry. I had to look that word up._ '

 

Another, particularly loud _bang_ made them all cringe.

 

' _The savior's coming to take all the Little Brothers back to the surface. Just like Jack tried to do._ '

 

They strained their ears to hear the roar in the background.

 

' _I think my Daddies found me._ '

 

Geoff clunked off the tape and stared hard at the human. He snatched up Gavin's file and slapped it down in front of him, flipping through it with too much force.

 

“ 'Gavin David Free'...'heavy survival instincts'...'Immigrant, Free Family – Textile'...'abandoned'...” Geoff slammed his fist on the table and snarled, startling the Little Boys in the room. Ryan watched with a stiff jaw. He'd glanced at Gavin's file while he'd been sorting through them for his own. He knew the disgust his friend felt for the citizens of Rapture. For the mission statement of the city, its people had been bigoted, hateful people with little to do but slap their children around and throw them in orphanages if they didn't find their faces 'pleasing' enough

 

Geoff's fist unfurled and he frowned as he read out the next line. “ 'Defects – lack of response from Big Daddies'.”

 

Ryan took up the tape that had been lodged in Gavin's file and offered it. “Play.”

 

Geoff shook his head slightly, suddenly uncertain if he wanted to know.

 

“Geoff.”

 

“If I hear it, it's real.”

 

Ryan flared his nostrils and cleared his throat. “It's real. Whether y-you hear it or...or not.”

 

Geoff scoffed with a mournful file. “Smart bastard. Give it over.”

 

Geoff changed out the tapes and cast an eye on at the trembling, thin Little Boy and his confused human love. He waited as long as he could be he gave in under Ryan's insistent glower. The button clicked much too loudly in the quiet room, the sound followed by Michael's tiny gasp of apprehension.

 

' _Number ninety-six is quite fast and his critical thinking skills are much higher than expected, even with the shock treatments. We were aiming for a clean slate but he seems to be adapting well. He's more agile than any of the other subjects. I just don't get it. He..._ '

 

There was a long pause. Gavin reached up and touched his head. They all knew he was mulling over the term “shock treatments” with growing horror. Dan closed his eyes and bowed his head as if in prayer.

 

' _He can't bond with a Big Daddy. They'll take care of him, but not the way they do to the other boys. It's like he's not their responsibility or something. It's baffling and frustrating to everyone. He's Tenenbaum's favored at the moment, though. She keeps giving him extra pheromone supplements. She has these samples locked away that she only uses for him. It's not my place to question her methods, but I want to help. If she's breeding that boy for a special Big Daddy I want to know. Maybe it has something to do with the private project in the old Memorial Museum. I heard someone say there's another lab below the Proving Grounds and that they're working on a new series of Big Daddies. Intriguing. I can only hope I prove myself and get transferred over there. There's something great happening under the floor_.'

 

There was a pregnant pause in the room. Everyone was holding their breath. Michael's polished nails threatened to cut crescents in Ray's hands and Gavin was starting to hiccup in distress. Ryan was swallowing a growl and his knuckles were bone white.

 

“He came for the rest of them,” Geoff rumbled as he slowly turned and stared Gavin down, the boy's eyes wide. “And you were the back up plan.”

 

“I-I was...they were...” Gavin pressed his palm to his forehead, trying to think. “I was being bred for something?”

 

“You're an incentive for him to stay. It's God damn brilliant,” Geoff's smirk was as bitter as cyanide and twice as deadly. “If there was a tempting bait wandering all around Rapture, begging to be chased, he could gather up all the Little Brothers on the way. And once he had them all, and his prize, he could take them out of the city. She _slathered_ you in his pheromones like a piece of meat.”

 

It was a cold statement of facts and it made Gavin tremble. The boy tried to touch Dan's face, to ask him if he had figured any of this out, but the man pulled away as much as he could. Dan's mouth was a white slash across his face and his shoulders showed a fine tremor in his muscles.

 

“I'm just a test tube experiment. No better than this _Jack_ ,” Dan spat the name out like venom. “I was born in this pit and they – what – wiped my memories? They set me up to come back here, no matter what? I never had a choice?”

  
His voice rose in pitch and he raised his head. “Are you telling me I was born human and cut down into some kind of tiny Big Daddy? Is that what you're fucking telling me, Ramsey?”

 

Geoff slowly cocked his head to the side, staring the boy down. “It's always come easy for you, hasn't it?”

 

That made the boy wrinkled up his nose.

 

“You were always stronger than the other boys, right? Things came more naturally to you. You were talented, likable.” Geoff tisked. “Do you remember growing into a man or have you always been so _developed_? You responded to the trigger phrase. Those words were burned into your mind from the moment you could form thoughts.”

 

Dan wracked his brain for a memory of being lanky or scrawny, of having acne or growing hair, but there was nothing there. There was almost nothing before he recalled standing in his room and lifting weights, of catching glimpses of his face in the mirror and being happy with what he saw. He'd always run faster, hit harder, and aimed better than the other boys. He was the best at footie and he'd excelled at wrestling almost without effort. His mother had always called him a natural athlete but looking back...that talent was hardly fought for.

 

“ _Cooperate...would you kindly?”_

 

Dan's mouth quivered before he released the fateful words. “I'm not human.”

 

“No, boy, you're not.”

 

“Why?” Ryan demanded, the word rasped in sandpaper. It held more than one question.

 

“These boys...” Dan swallowed and raised up on his knees, chin up. “These boys are brainwashed to be subservient, to gather ADAM from corpses like demonic fetchlings. Tenenbaum may have robbed me of whatever kind of life I thought I had, but she has given me a righteous purpose in this wretched place.”

 

“You dramatic pup,” Geoff scolded.

 

“They had _everything_ stolen from them, right down to their gender.”

 

“The 'Doll Initiative',” Ray spoke up, getting to his feet. “What is it?”

 

“It's all there, in those files. Half of it's jibberish, but it's real.”

 

Michael fingered the edge of his skirt and he sniffled wetly.

 

“Shut up,” Geoff demanded, staring pointedly at the human.

 

Dan struggled to remember the words. “ 'Projected outcome of males, uprise inevitable. Projected outcome of females – significant reduction'.”

 

Gavin stood up, cheeks ruddy with indignation. “Females?”

 

“There was something about a bunch of hormonal drugs and dosages, and that they couldn't actually give you actual female parts because it conflicted with the slugs?” Dan struggled to remember but the long words had been difficult for him.

 

“Stop it, you're upsetting them,” Geoff pleaded.

 

Dan's eyes jumped up from the floor when he finally recalled the part that had put ice in his veins, the words spilling out neatly. “ 'Subliminal messaging of a female form, repeated gender pronouns, and limited clothing options appear to work best with more stubborn subjects.' ” He looked to Michael and the boy was on the verge of tears. “How many times has he called you a _good girl_? He was programmed to do it.”

 

Michael's sob snapped Geoff's control. The Big Daddy charged and scooped the boy up by the collar, yanking him off the floor. He held Dan suspended with one hand while the other curled around his calf, the still-sore wound only mildly healed by ADAM reopening with a few careful digs of his fingers. Dan cried out as a fresh wave of blood poured down his leg.

 

“No!” Gavin begged. Ray was quick to grab his friend's arm and drag him further away to avoid incurring the Big Daddy's wrath.

 

“Do you think making my boy cry is fucking cute?” Geoff showed his teeth. “I will destroy you. I don't care if you were Tenenbaum's pet. _Project Wild Card_.”

 

“Beta Series,” Dan retorted in a hiss. “Selfish monster!”

 

Geoff tossed the boy away like he'd been burnt. Dan flopped hard on the bare floor and he laid there wheezing for a few moments before he rolled onto his side, glaring at the man despite the exhaustion in his eyes.

 

“They don't deserve this!” Dan fought against the ropes to sit up properly. “They deserve to be drained of all that disgusting drug and taken out of this Hellpit!”

 

“ADAM's in your veins too, boy,” Geoff seethed. “Don't be so quick to judge.”

 

“I took Tenenbaum's Plasmid, I can cleanse them. I can fix Rapture's mistake!” Dan proclaimed.

 

Ryan stepped up beside Geoff and his Adam's apple bobbed. “What do _you_ want? Not doctors. Not scientists. _You_.”

 

Geoff was stunned by the clearness in his voice. “Ryan...”

 

“What do I want?” Dan echoed, a little lost. His mind wandered to Ray in distress, Haywood's terrifying roar, and Michael's candy kisses and eagerness. Gavin, his newest love...his heart ached for him. He longed to hold him in his arms and kiss the tears from his cheeks, to take him away from here and give him everything he deserved. These boys – this city – he couldn't stomach it.

 

“I can operate the bathyspheres, all I have to do is find one that goes to the surface,” Dan spoke up with a renewed confidence. “I can sap all the ADAM and take them there. They can have a life, I can take care of them. Even if they never age, at least they'll live in the sun. I _want_ to save them.”

 

The offer sat like lead in the stomachs of the Big Daddies but the boys had softened.

 

“Sunshine,” Ray murmured to himself as he stared curiously at the floor.

 

Michael's wistful sigh echoed the sentiment.

 

Geoff's shoulders slumped in defeat and he scrubbed a heavy hand over his face. “Ryan. Put the human in the bedroom across the hall. I think the family needs to have a talk.”

 

Gavin whined in distress and sunk down next to Dan with a protective hug. “Geoff, no...”

 

“We won't hurt him, little one,” Geoff assured with a weary slur. “If we're to discuss our future, and his fate, I would rather have his smug little face behind a few walls.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

**I want to thank you all for your patience, your kind words, your art, your love!! I never thought this fic would get this much attention. It came to my attention that I might have helped put this[wonderful blog](http://bioshockau.tumblr.com/) together and if the creators are reading this - your blog is beautiful and more elaborate than anything I've seen and it's simply gorgeous. Seriously, my beautiful readers, you're the best and I couldn't ask for better people to enjoy these fics and ideas with. This is so much fun.**   
  
**That being said, just a warning - after the next chapter, there will be a long wait until the final chapter. Why, my loves? Because I want to write the last chapter, the epilogue one-shot, and Geoff's back story all at once and post them at the same time. That'll be time consuming so I just want to give you a heads up. We're very close to being finished. I hope you're all as excited as I am.**   
  
**I also hope that I gave a good mystery twist, and yet there's still more to come!**

 

 

 

 


	16. In the Sun?

It was hard to yank Dan out of Gavin's arms but Ryan was firm. He tossed the human in the bedroom down the hall as ordered, checking it briefly for any holes for Splicers to crawl through before he shut and barred the door with a broken dresser. The boy knew he had a fight on his hands if he tried to escape and Geoff had briefly explained the entire section of building was boobytrapped, so he counted on the feisty pup to stay in place.

  
  


When Ryan got back to the room, it was already buzzing with nervous energy.

  
  


“The surface, can you imagine?” Gavin was in absolute awe, staring out the windows where there was nothing but miles of ocean. “There are so many things I've wanted to see. Trees...growing in sunlight. Bushes with berries.”

  
  


Ray had his arms crossed over his chest, a faraway look in his softly glowing eyes. “To be truly dry...”

  
  


“Maybe we should go,” Gavin murmured, voice slowly rising in excitement. “We could all go! We could find a beach and build a life from scratch if we wanted! Just to be in the sand, in the grass...doesn't it sound amazing?”

  
  


Ray curled his toes in his Mary Janes and let out a soft sigh at the thought of them buried in the sand while the sun beat down on him.

  
  


“ _ No _ , it doesn't,” Michael spat, lips pursed and arms crossed tight over his chest. “I don't want to go to the surface. That place isn't for us, and we don't know what it looks like now. It could be a wasteland.”

  
  


“ But what if it's  _ not _ ?” Ray insisted, voice suddenly stronger, eyes more clear.

  
  


Michael's gaze seemed to glow brighter in defiance. “We belong in Rapture. This city was build for those who don't it anywhere else. All good things-”

  
  


“Shut up!” Ray cut in, stomach churning as those programmed words nearly slipped out of Michael's painted lips again. “Who says we don't fit up there?”

  
  


Michael flinched, arms falling limp to his sides. His nails were uncharacteristically chipped, picked at by nervous fingers and teeth. Ray could see the imperfections shining through – curls ruffled, makeup smudged around his eyes, tear tracks just faintly cutting down his round cheeks.

  
  


Gavin wavered between the choices, gaze flicking between his fellow Little Brothers and the door that parted him from his new human love.

  
  


Michael chewed the side of his lip, further smudging ruby red. He picked his gaze up off the floor and looked to Geoff. “Daddy?”

  
  


Geoff's heart sank heavily into his stomach and he swallowed dryly a few times to get his voice back. He'd spent years worrying about this day, that exact word expressed with morbid curiosity and distress. He tried to put on a smile but it felt strained. “I support you.”

  
  


Ryan's head whipped around and big, dull eyes stared at him in shock. The boys looked surprised too, maybe more at his morbidly hopeful tone than the words.

  
  


“Whatever you want to do,” Geoff pressed on. “I'll help you pack and take you to the bathysphere myself, with that human in tow. But I can't go with you.”

  
  


All three Little Brothers' brows furrowed up. Michael's lower lip quivered and his fingers bunched nervously in his skirt. “What do you mean?”

  
  


“Of course you can,” Gavin argued without much heat, so very unsure.

  
  


Geoff shook his head, throat threatening to swell closed but how devastated the boys looked. “Ryan and I...boys, Big Daddies can't function without ADAM. The surface doesn't have that.” He gestured vaguely, struggling with the words. “We need you, but you don't need us.”

  
  


Ryan plopped down heavily on the floor, head ducked to hide his face. He struggled to keep a pained grimace off his lips but failed. Ray walked up and squeaked when he was snagged around the waist, the Big Daddy's face pressed deep into his stomach. He felt his blouse grow damp and it made him whine, fingers tangling in faded blonde hair.

  
  


“Is that...true?” Ray asked hesitantly. As he said the words he realized he'd known that, had always known that in some way or another beyond the surface level of the “gather, clean, feed, repeat” that had been drilled into their heads for as long as he could remember. Ryan nodded against him and the boy snivelled pathetically. “Will you die if we leave?”

  
  


Ryan's gloved hands curled around his hips, swallowing down an anguished noise.

  
  


“I'm sure we'll figure it out,” Geoff lied, forcing another smile despite how his chest felt like it had been stuffed full of broken glass.

  
  


Ray's mouth dropped open as he truly started to put it together. “The ADAM we gather is dirty.” Gavin looked at him, face blanched of color despite the crimson drug that coursed thick through his system.  “It'll make you sick, and weak. Won't it?”

  
  


Ryan nodded and Michael audibly choked. The Little Brother huffed loudly and bunched up his skirt until it threatened to permanently wrinkle. “Then I'm not going!”

  
  


“Please,” Geoff pleaded, holding his hand up as if to calm the boy down without actually touching him. “I beg you boys to think this over for a few days. This is an important decision, one you wanted very much just a few moments ago. This is too big to leave to rash decisions. This is the rest of your lives we're talking about.”

  
  


The boys frowned at him and Ryan refused to let go of his Little Brother, murmuring nonsense.

  
  


“ Just,  _ please _ ,” Geoff begged through grit teeth. “Don’t take this lightly.”

  
  


“We won’t.” Michael’s voice wavered but his jaw was set tight like he was trying his best not to blubber. The boys were distressed but there was nothing Geoff could do, not right now. The decision would be theirs alone. “Daddy, I don’t understand. Why can’t we just come back if we want?”

  
  


“I can’t guarantee you can,” Geoff admitted, each word like yanking a tooth out of his mouth. “The bathyspheres work a certain way, and most of them are damaged. If they go all the way to the surface without a hitch, I can’t say it’ll do the same coming back. You would need the human to come back, he’s the only one with the DNA scan to operate it.”

  
  


Michael’s eyes rounded. “I...I didn’t realize…”

  
  


“Human,” Ryan grunted as he pried himself away from his Little Brother. “What...do we do with…?”

  
  


Geoff huffed out a quiet, frustrated breath.  _ That little human bastard.  _ “ We’ll decide when the boys decide.”

  
  


Gavin sucked in a loud breath. “Daddy, please, I love him.”

  
  


“ You  _ just  _ met him,” Geoff growled out, the roughness slipping out before he could swallow it down. “I have hard proof that you’re prewired to love him, Gavin. They injected you with his hormones before all your baby teeth had fallen out. You were  _ bred  _ for him.”

  
  


Gavin bared teeth at him like a small, feral mutt. “How is that any different from the way Michael loves  _ you _ ?”

  
  


Geoff drew back, struck. That ground glass in his chest trickled into his stomach, churning sourly. He could taste the bile on the back of his tongue from the pure truth of it. The Little Brothers had been brainwashed to love Big Daddies just as much as Gavin had been selectively designed to appeal to the genetically modified human.

  
  


Geoff’s lips curled into a snarl and he turned away. “Fine. Go see your human.” 

  
  


That was all the permission Gavin needed and he bolted without even a glance back.  

  
  


~*~

  
  


It took Gavin a few tries but eventually he managed to shove aside the dresser in front of the makeshift prison cell. He burst in and expected the worse, expected Ryan to have ruined his love, but all he found was a heap of tired human. Dan looked worn out and boneless upon the floor, hands still bound painfully behind his back. Dark eyes were muddy as they stared lifelessly at the carpet,  body limp in exhaustion. Gavin wasn’t sure if it was from fighting off the other Big Daddies or from surviving in Rapture with little more than (probably) tainted plasmids and spare bullets. There were so many questions he wanted to ask Dan, wondering what he’d seen, where he’d roamed, how he’d survived - but all of it was swallowed under the Little Brother’s concern.

  
  


“My Daniel,” Gavin lamented dramatically, throwing himself at the human. His small fingers worked gracelessly at the ropes that bound him. Dan blinked a few times before he realized what was happening. A tongue swiped over his healed lips and he could almost taste the ADAM that had crept into his wounds, stitching skin back together. He watched the Little Brother fuss and whine, tugging at the knots until they gave free.

  
  


“Gavin,” Dan breathed in relief as his arms were released. “My love, what’s to happen?” He winced as the boy wrapped him in a tight hug but he curled his arm around that thin waist, those delicate clothes like silk against his rough skin. “Have they sent you here as a mercy before killing me?”

  
  


Gavin shook his head, unable to form words at first. He eased Dan up off the floor, mindful of his shaky stance. They hobbled the few feet to the bed before falling into it together. There was a must in the sheets but the mattress was surprisingly plump. Dan outright moaned, unfamiliar with such finery - not just in his week stay in Rapture, but throughout his life. He splayed a hand along the boy’s lower back and eased him closer, bumping noses and stealing a chaste kiss that warmed his very soul.

  
  


“Tell me what was said?” Dan asked, ready to beg if needed.  The uncertainty of his fate had haunted him since he’d arrived and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it not knowing. “Please, love.”

  
  


“Geoff said that…” Gavin swallowed dryly, trying to get back his words. “He said that if he wanted to leave, we could.” A smile broke out on Dan’s face and the Little Brother whined. “But if we did, Ryan and Geoff couldn’t go with us. They need ADAM, and there’s none up there.” He sniffled, trying to push down the heartbreak of his brief, shattered dream. “Bathyspheres are powered by the DNA of Andrew Ryan, yeah? Daniel...you’re it. You’re one of the last.” He took the human’s hand and laced their fingers together, watching how well they fit together. 

  
  


“Gavin?”

  
  


“There’s no promise that we could come back to them,” the boy rasped, glowing hazel eyes fluttering at him. “If I asked you to stay here…?”

  
  


“The city is dead, darling,” Dan tisked sadly. “You cannot ask me to do that. You know what would lay in store for me."

  
  


A tear escaped those pale, golden lashes and a small smile curved his glossed lips. “I’m a selfish boy.”

  
  


“ No,” Dan swore as he cupped the other’s chin and tilted his head up. “You are precious, and darling. And  _ mine _ .”

  
  


Gavin moaned delicately as his mouth was taken in a claiming kiss. The human’s kiss was so firm that he gave in, laying a hand upon his chest and letting himself be dragged in that extra bit until they were pressed tight. Dan so badly needed a good wash and he would give it to him, would scrub his skin pink and douse him in sweet smelling soap - but  _ later _ . Right now he needed those calloused hands sweeping over him, a cool tongue swiping across his lower lip before dipping in to lick at him.  

  
  


It was such a tender exchange but so different than anything he’d had before.  The kisses he got from Ryan were careful, and from Geoff they were dominating. Michael kissed him like he could brand him with his lips, and Ray kissed him like he were made of glass. But Dan was a mix of all. Gavin swooned at how owned and cared for he felt from just a kiss. More than a Big Daddy, more than a Little Brother - his love was  _ everything _ , everything he never knew he needed until he got a taste. 

  
  


“These lips,” Dan groaned in defeat as they parted. “They are carved of silk. Such a lush resting place for my own. I never want to leave them untasted.”

  
  


“They are yours,” Gavin swore.

  
  


Dan’s jaw ticked beneath his skin. “Only mine?” 

  
  


Gavin’s eyes dropped to the old sheets as visions of his actual bedroom surfaced. The little shelf above the bed with Michael’s teddies and Egg sitting upon it, the pictures of starlets plastered on the wall, the smell of flowery perfume and the scatter of silken stockings and garments made out of other fine material. Geoff and Michael’s overly warm weight on either side of him, cradling him protectively through the night. Their kisses and intimate touches, the way they filled him with their cocks and fingers and scandalous  _ tongues _ . How he lovingly rutted into Michael’s oiled, inviting hole while Geoff watched. How Michael rode his own slender cock like it was just as satisfying as the Big Daddy’s thicker length. Dan touched him with slow, loving reverence and made love to him like he was the only one in the world he’d want to be with. 

  
  


Could he pledge himself only to this human when he so completely loved his family? Could he give up their bed for Dan's?

  
  


_ Will he live long enough for me to make that choice? _

  
  


“They’re-” Gavin tried, sputtering out before he ever really started. Dan started to move and he flinched at first, afraid he’d angered the human. An apology was already writing itself across his tongue but Dan kissed him again, lapping gently at the seam of his lips as he moved over him. Gavin let himself be rolled onto his back, humming as the human covered him up with that fit body. Pure muscle flexed beneath his palms as he laid them flat on the man’s chest once more, letting them drag down the fine line of his hips. “Oh, my Daniel…” 

  
  


“ I don’t care,” Dan confessed, settling his arms on either side of the Little Brother to trap him in place. “Loving them doesn’t mean I love you any less. My sweetest, my small Gavin...I don’t care where your lips have been.” He dipped down and brushed their noses, getting a coo out of the other that warmed his heart. “Because they are  _ mine  _ now.”

  
  


Gavin melted under the fierce kiss that was seared across his mouth. He nodded in breathless agreement, curling his arms around the man’s neck and kissing back with everything he had. He was nibbled and lapped at with a growing hunger and he gave in. They pawed at one another, fingers digging between buttons and along hems. They strained to get closer, to feel more, to drink in one another. 

  
  


Gavin squeaked as his human lover sat up and flipped his skirt, fingertips catching in the delicate edges of his panties and tugging them down. The Little Brother thrashed and tried to hide himself, feeling suddenly immodest from how hard he was. “Dan, please!”

  
  


“What is it, my darling?” the human teased lightly and he pawed those hands away, giving that pretty cock a proper look. A long, elegant length that he knew had been buried in sweet Michael. He could see it in the way they had touched and spoke. “Your lovers have seen you many times, I’m sure. Why do you hide your delicacy from me?”

  
  


A guilty blush spread over Gavin’s cheeks, bleeding down his jaw and along his throat like a rash. Hazel eyes were swallowed up by that eerie peridot glow as ADAM rushed thick as syrup through his veins. The harder his heart pounded, the more his skin flushed with the stolen, ruby drug. 

  
  


“I-I’m not hiding,” Gavin promised, giving a cute little chirp as he parted his legs and curled his arms above his head, fingers digging into the pillow as he put himself on display. “For you, my human. All for you. Indulge in me.”

  
  


“My warm, rare flower,” Dan swooned as he savored how velvety smooth the Little Brother was as he ran his own roughened palms down those sides and back up under his skirt so he could give another full look. The downy soft hair on that little tummy, the dips of his hips that gave a tiny ‘v’ that lead to the stiff length of his cock. Those thighs - not as thick as Michael’s, but plump and dimpling so happily under the grip of greedy fingers. He wanted to catch a glimpse of that small, dark hole and feel how it would twitch against his fingertips. But there was a tastier goal in mind, and he was parched.

  
  


Dan wet his lips before sliding them over the slight head of the boy’s cock, tonguing the slit in a different kind of filthy kiss. Mouth wet from Gavin’s need, Dan swallowed down his slim cock and let rest along his tongue, the spongy tip rubbing softly at the back of his throat. He marveled at how hot Gavin was, both inside and out. His Little Boy was so stuffed with Adam that he could feel it buzzing just beneath his flesh. It made Dan’s lips tingle and his mind cloud over, the traces of ADAM giving him a rush. 

  
  


He almost wanted to pull back and collect himself, to fight the siren song of ADAM, but Gavin started moaning so sweetly. 

  
  


“ Daniel!” Gavin mewled, the long line of his body curving into a graceful arch up off the sheets. His face was picturesque, agonized bliss with a furrowed brow and shining lips stretched so obscenely in his ecstatic cry. “You’ll m-make me spill over so  _ quick  _ with that sinful mouth.”

  
  


Dan fanned his fingers out across the back of Gavin’s thighs and pushed them up, parting them further as a grin wrapped around the base of the boy’s cock.  _ That’s it, my darling. Let me see your need. _

  
  


~*~

  
  


“ _I’ve tasted your cream, my little darling, now hike up that pretty skirt and come into my lap. Let me give you a proper filling.”_

  
  


Michael stumbled, ankles suddenly weak in his heels as he heard the human’s pretty lilt creeping out from the cracks in the bedroom door. He quieted his steps and leaned against the wall beside the frame, lashes fanning low and ears straining to hear all the obscene sounds from inside. There was the slick, flesh-on-flesh of lust from the room and he felt himself heat up a little. From jealousy, anger, or arousal he wasn’t sure. 

  
  


“ _Oh, my human, you feel so fat and good inside me…”_

  
  


“ _Sweet, bouncy boy.”_

  
  


Cute laughter dissolved into breathy grunts. Michael turned slightly and pressed his back to the wall, heels digging into the carpet as he slumped all his weight on it. His knees felt liquid and his heart was fluttering, and not in the pleasant way. It was obvious they were fucking like eager bunnies in there and Gavin sounded like he was getting the ride of his life in there.  

 

“ ‘ _ s not as deep.” _ That was Gavin’s most pitiful, needy whine and it hit him right in the gut. “ _ Lay me out, love, fill me more. Deeper.” _

  
  


Dan’s smooth chuckle felt like nails raking across his skin.  “ _ You act as if I could put a little babe in that cute belly of yours.” _

  
  


Gavin cooed, endearing and birdlike.  “ _ At least be a gentleman and try!” _

  
  


There were more sounds - rustling sheets, groans muffled by kisses, and finally that wet sound of pure sex. 

  
  


Michael took a big breath and let it shudder out of him like a sob, painted nails digging into the wallpaper. He was losing his boy so fast it was making him dizzy and there was nothing he could do. Gavin sounded so damn happy in there - how could he take that away?

  
  


He closed his eyes and took another pathetic, stuttering breath to try and ease his breaking heart. 

  
  


~*~*~*~

  
  


Ryan took Ray out to gather ADAM to get the boy’s mind off the human’s presence lingering in the high floor of Mercury Suits. They’d spent more time with Geoff lately and it was both good and bad for his Little Brother. Being with Michael and Gavin so much had truly allowed his boy to flower but every mention or glimpse of Dan seemed to drag him back into his shell. 

  
  


Ryan cornered a Splicer and snapped his neck, twisting his head clear around. He left Ray to it while he guarded the doorway of the ruined lounge, keeping an eye out in case there was a pack of Splicers to defend their fallen kin. He listened to Ray mutter affection at the corpse, cooing to the ADAM and coaxing it to the surface to be extracted. There was the meaty plunge of the needle and the Little Brothers coos as it flowed and filled the tank.

  
  


Then the soft, happy sounds cut off into a broken whine. 

  
  


Ryan turned with his drill raised, fearing the worst, and froze when he saw Ray just standing there. His arms and head were limp like a rag doll and he was swaying on his feet.  The container on the extractor device sloshed gently. 

  
  


It was only half full.

  
  


“Oh God,” Ray moaned in disgust, face raising back up to the light to show off the sparkle of tears that kissed his doe eyes. “It’s going to run out.”

  
  


Ryan frowned deeply, grunting, wondering what exactly was wrong.

  
  


“ The ADAM,” Ray rasped as he started to tremble all over, the glow in his eyes faded down to almost nothing as the illusion shattered. “Oh,  _ Ryan _ . T-There’s not enough. It’s going to run out. If it’s this bad now, when we run out...the Splicers will tear this city apart.”

  
  


Ryan whined under his breath and eased closer, holding out a hand in a mimicked motion he’d seen Geoff use with the boys. Little Brothers were fragile in many ways but they had an inferno of power inside them waiting to be ignited. If his sweet Ray was to strike out at him, he was sure what was left of his heart would break. The boy closed the distance between them with quick, clicking steps and snagged his much larger hand.

  
  


“Daddy, promise me that if it comes down to it...that if the ADAM’s gone and the Splicers turn rabid...you’ll end it.” Ray dug his small fingers into the man’s glove. He blinked and twin tears tumbled down his lightly rouged cheeks. His jaw was clenched, cheekbones so beautifully defined in his tight-lipped determination. Ryan’s lips twitched in the smallest of smiles as he clung to the whimsical thought of how beautiful his Little Brother was. It was fleeting, a desperate attempt to avoid the heavy spell weaving over them.  “Promise you won’t leave me.”

  
  


“ Never, “ Ryan swore quickly, still unsure exactly what his boy meant but unwavering in his duty to protect him and stay by his side. Ray leaned in and grabbed the velcro of his gloves between his teeth, jerking his head and unlatching the strips one at a time.  It was a confusing gesture at first, his fried brain struggling to keep up as he let emotion cloud his head. It was easy to do in the presence of his Little Brother.  The glove was tugged away, falling to the floor. He watched in utter horror has Ray took his large, bare hand between his own delicate ones and guided it to his neck. He felt the swell of Ray’s throat against his palm and when the boy swallowed he  _ knew _ . A small gasp left the giant’s throat but Ray’s stalwart gaze never faltered. 

  
  


“Promise you won’t let me suffer,” the Little Brother demanded, pressing the palm tight to his skin even as his pulse raced. 

  
  


Ryan keened like the touch burned him clean through. He oafishly picked Ray up by the waist and bundled him into his arms like a human baby. Ray was glaring fiercely at him but he couldn’t bare it. Instead he held him close and rubbed his cheek against dark hair, along a tan cheek, over a smooth jaw, but when he tried to buss their lips he was met with a firm scowl. Ray’s gaze had turned poisonous in his seriousness and the Big Daddy faltered.

  
  


“Promise,” Ryan croaked, heart trembling to pieces deep in his chest. 

  
  


“Do you mean it?” Ray needled.

  
  


Ryan nodded despite how everything inside him screamed against it. The Little Brother’s heaving sigh of relief and the way he completely slumped into him made it worthwhile. At least at the moment. 

* * *

**  
*tips hat like an offer*[Donations ](https://www.patreon.com/emono?ty=h)to a poor author are beyond appreciated. Every dollar truly helps me get closer to paying RTX and rent money. **

 

**And Feedback? Feedback is so appreciated, my goodness. I've been out of touch with this fic for a few months and I hope I haven't lost my touch <3**

 

 


	17. Only Pictures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael's world comes crashing down. Are there enough pieces to put him back together? Or is the illusion broken forever?
> 
> (Chapter includes fanart, I didn't want to cheapen the story by making a full chap just the fanart so I put it at the end of this one to hopefully BRIGHTEN UP THE MOOD)

**HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO COMMENTED AND FULLY SUPPORTED THIS MONSTROSITY OF AN AU xD**  
  
Since this chapter was written in hope of inspiring emotion, I won't litter it with hyperlinks, just one single link that I believe is appropriate. Instead I made [this ](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/124171766681/fort-frolic-eves-garden-mlle-blanche-de-glace)as a reference link post as they're seen in the chapter, so if you get confused or you've forgotten (like I have), this might help. 

 

* * *

   
The memories came back in a flood. Michael (ever the dramatic martyr that he was) gorged himself on dirty ADAM to the point where he couldn’t walk, couldn’t breathe without wheezing and could only grope blindly for his bedside table to knock off a glass figurine. The noise had alerted Geoff and after a quick inspection of his crying Little Boy he left to fetch Ryan. The burden Michael carried was too great. Together, the two Big Daddies drained the boy down to the dregs. It was the heaviest milking Michael had ever gone through and he’d slumped into a boneless pile once the Daddies let go of him.

 

In a crumpled mess of dark cinnamon curls and the wrinkled heft of a silk nightie, the Little Brother fell into a thirteen hour long sleep. It was there, with only a slosh of ADAM in his blood, did he remember.

 

~*~

 

Michael had belonged to one of the first Little Brother orphanages to crop up in Rapture. They were fed special diets and given thick vitamins that tasted so bitter he could hardly swallow them. The blankets on his cot were as threadbare as the slacks they gave him to wear. He was cold all the time, belly always wrapped up in hunger cramps, but his life was not dark. The orphanage was set up right outside Fort Frolic. It was a sinful, indulgent place of gambling, booze, and shopping where people wore their vices like a badge of honor. Music halls and pubs, parlors for crooners and soulful sax solos. The whole place was like a lighthouse in the fog of a deep sea.

 

Michael snuck out every day, unnoticed and unaccounted for. He lost himself among the crowd, stunted in his growth and barely higher than a knee cap. He found out quickly which doors were unlocked and which bouncers to avoid, who would snitch and who wouldn’t. He got himself into those lounges and crept his way into their backstages, finding shadowy corners with boxes so he could sit and nibble on the candies he found lying around on the vanities of performers and watch the shows.  His eyes followed the forms of the beautiful women who danced upon the stage in such high heels and silks and furs. They sang and he became addicted to their airy, husky voices.

 

His little feet would dangle over the edge of the box, worn shoes kicking lightly in pure joy as he admired those who had the courage and talent to prance across the stage in front of the tough crowd. It was an innocent joy at first. He often pictured himself as one of the clean cut gentlemen who got to lead the ladies in elegant dances to sweep them off their feet. But then things started to change.

 

In the course of a few weeks, the orphanages doubled in number and the procedures changed. The pills came in threes now and at breakfast they were served powdered eggs and a fat shot of golden liquid that made their veins itch. Three times a day the boys were given a big baby bottle of milk with special stoppers that the caretakers promised were designed not to bend their teeth in the long run. _“No little duck teeth for our lost babies.”_ The milk was always warm and it made everything from their tongues to their stomachs tingle, throats numb for at least an hour after drinking. They were ordered to drink it _all_ in one sitting and they obeyed. The strange milk was filling, at least, and it gave them great rushes of energy.

 

Then the men came. Doctors disguised as regular people except for the masks they wore over their mouths. They called the boys “Little Brothers” to match the new name of the orphanages. When they came, the boys were forced to move into lines and stand relatively still as they waited for their turn to be prodded at. The men in masks took saliva samples and blood, sometimes making them pee into cups behind a curtain. Each boy was examined with sharp claw-looking devices that pinched them at the hips and legs and arms to measure something they didn’t understand. Heights and weights were taken, strands of hair plucked out of their heads, vitals written down and eyes examined.

 

Michael liked scientists because they always seemed very impressed by him, smiles hidden except for their crinkled eyes. They gave him lollies and patted his head, and that hardly happened with the other boys. Sometimes they gave him an extra shot but he didn’t mind because cherry candy was his favorite and they always slipped him an extra one before they left.

 

Some of the boys disappeared after a while. Their caretakers told the others their friends had been adopted. Michael had thought it was a little strange that the boys who’d been bedridden with fever were the ones to get chosen by hopeful couples, but all it did was make him work extra hard to look presentable and be good.

 

One day, the boys in the orphanages woke up to find their dressers full of cotton panties, stockings, and dresses. They were all made in the same style - they came down to their knees, puffy sleeves, a folded collar, buttons over the chest, and a white panel at the cinched waist. They were all clean and different colors, enough of them matching that there was very little fighting over who got what. They were informed to share like “good little girls”.

 

The phrase didn’t stop there. Michael and the boys got confused as their caretakers started to refer to them as girls more often than not, and always with a sugary sweet tone. Even the scientists started using the wrong names for them. It was strange, and Michael was one of the first to speak out about it.

 

“That dress is so pretty on you, baby girl,” the female caretaker crooned at him as he came out of his room in a red dress with little black polka dots, a black ribbon bow tied at the small of his back. Michael agreed, he did look very nice, but there was something that irked him.

 

“I’m not a girl,” Michael had protested with a firm pout.

 

The look on her face had been absolutely horrified, but only for a split second before her too-wide grin had come back. “Oh, Michael, don’t argue with adults. We know best.”

 

“But-”

 

“Michael, don’t make me discipline you,” the woman huffed softly.

 

Frustrated tears welled in doe eyes, little mouth pursed tight. “I’m not a little girl!”

 

The only warning he’d gotten was the soft crackle of electricity before something was jabbed into his side. The caretaker’s face had been full of pure sympathy as Michael had writhed in pure agony, muscles seizing, feet arching hard in his tiny little oxfords as he tried to get away from the pain. The simple stun gun was ripped away after a few seconds and Michael crumpled into a heap upon the ground, rasping for breath. Once he got it back he started to sob, chest heaving as tears rushed down his pale cheeks. When he’d managed to pick his head back up, the caretaker was leaning over him with a glass of water, the little handheld device tucked somewhere away in her many pockets.

 

“There’s a good girl. You’re alright, dear. Just breathe nice and even for me. Here, sip this.”

 

And that became the norm. You got one firm warning before you were shocked, quick as a flash, and then given a time out or sometimes a spanking. The boys fought at first but those who protested the most were “adopted” and eventually fear swept the orphanage. Then conformity sunk in, protests dying as they sucked down the strange, warm milk.

 

Now in his dresses and torn stockings, Michael still visited the music halls. But this time, he went further into Fort Frolic, past the usual stops, until he came upon Eve’s Garden. It was a ‘gentlemen's club’, but to Michael that was a synonym of pure sin. He found his way inside and discovered a dark corner to hide and watch the performances there without getting caught. They sang just beautifully as the women from the common lounges and he swooned under their dulcet tones. He sank himself into their heavenly voices and while under their harmonic spell he could forget the pain in his stomach for the new round of drugs the scientists pumped into them.

 

In Eve’s Garden, the outfits changed for the better. Waists were cinched with gorgeous corsets held by strong ribbon, bodies shaping beneath fabric and plastic bones. The costumes were downright scandalous with low dips into soft breasts and high skirts to give heavy-handed glimpses of creamy thighs striped in garters. The curves were seemingly endless and the shine of jewels blinded Michael, giving him nothing but starry eyes.

 

As they wowed the crowd and offered teasing glimpses of lush hips and the swell of their breasts, Michael’s daydreams changed. No longer did he want to be one of the slicked haired, suited gentlemen who escorted those angelic performers around and stealing their kisses. Now he looked down at his tatter-edged dresses and wondered what it would be like to be one of those pretty ladies instead. He’d lay his hands on his flat chest and imagine little breasts, and stare at his stocking-clad legs and wondered if one day they’d stretch on for miles and get the sweet hug of silk stockings. He felt along his hips and begged them to curve, to shape like those gorgeous performers.

 

Mlle Blanche de Glace, the actress. Anna Culpepper, the vocalist. And _Jasmine Jolene_ \- Andrew Ryan’s gal.

 

Michael loved them all. Stars in a constellation that he didn’t belong to, that didn’t want him.

 

~

 

“My goodness, Andrew, you’re insatiable today. I still have a set.”

 

“You perform when I say so. And I want you now.”

 

Michael held his breath as he ducked behind a pile of crates. It was one of his favorite hiding spots, one side covered by red velvet curtains and the boxes were stacked in a way that gave both privacy and prime peeking spots in the cracks. Here he could stay completely hidden while watching the couple steal some alone time. A fine dressed man twirling a gorgeous blonde, long-legged doll until her back was pressed to the wall. Michael caught a look at her face and cooed, quickly covering his mouth to smother up the noise so he wouldn’t be discovered.

 

Jasmine Jolene herself in the flesh, barely ten feet away with a handsome man kissing at her jaw and rubbing his paws all over her. She had her head turned away from him like she couldn’t be bothered but there was a softness in her eyes, an eagerness in the arch of her back and the jut of her hips. It was a coy display, a show, and Michael so wished he was so curvy and long as to fill out that sparkle dress of hers, to an object of desire like she was in this moment and every other.

 

Her throaty chuckle was pure temptation. “You think you own this entire place, Andrew?”

 

“Well I _do_ , lovely doll.”

 

Michael’s eyes rounded out as he realized who it was. _That’s the founder. Andrew Ryan._

 

Never so badly had Michael wanted to be a tall glass of water instead of a common little field mouse.

 

~

 

Weeks of admiring and lamenting over these fiery performers went by. More Little Brothers were taken away and the experiments got more intense. They were fed movie after movie, ‘fun training’ it was called, and for every Little Brother that disappeared there was two more to take his place.

 

On one particular night Michael was smothering moans of pain behind his little crate hideaway. That’s when he got caught.

 

“You there, what are you doing?” Michael saw painted nails digging into his sleeve before he was dragged up onto his feet. Frowning down at him was one of the most beautiful creatures he’d ever seen, and would ever see. She had short, silky raven curls and shapely, full lips the color of ripe cherries. China doll complexion and a tight, backless number that dipped low and cut high. A ribbon collar along her throat and the smoky makeup made her positively picturesque. He’d know her anywhere. A rising singer, a vocalist for the elite. _Anna Culpepper_.

 

“Miss. Culpepper,” he rasped out, starting to tremble all over. He felt faint and she must have seen it because she softened her voice.

 

“Little one, you can’t be back here, this is a place for adults,” Anna chastised. “There’s a lot of things here not meant for children. I don’t know how you got it, but don’t you come back.”

 

Michael blubbered quietly as twin tears streamed down his cheeks. Anna tisked at him and reached up, fiddling with her only hair accessory - an elegant red bow that was actually a metal clip-in. Her curls tumbled down to kiss her cheek and she took Michael’s hand, laying the bow in the palm of it.

 

“There you go, little one, it’ll complement those curls of yours.” She let go of his arm to pat his hair. “Floofy haired boy. Go on, now. This is no place for you.”

 

~*~

 

Michael woke up with a start, sheets pooling around him from the sudden movement. He couldn’t quite remember where he was with it being so dark but it only took a short minute before he realized he was in his own room. The lights were off the window was covered, a stream of light under the door and the soft lull of voices. The tones of Geoff and Ryan dragged him out of those old memories and let him feel the give of the mattress, the cool air, the soft pillows, and the hand on his stomach.

 

Gavin was curled up beside him in nothing but some boy-cut panties, face slack in deep sleep. He looked like a sweet, resting babe beside him. Lips parted just a little, golden lashes fanned across his flushed cheeks, half curled up and already pawing at him. “Michael?”

 

“I’m here, Gavvy,” Michael promised in a whisper. He petted through Gavin’s hair until he was sure the other Little Brother had slipped back to sleep. Michael slid out of bed and walked over to his vanity, quietly searching through the many drawers until he came across a polished, wooden box. The glow of his eyes gave him enough light to see the clasp and slide it open.

 

Inside was a single red ribbon clip. One of his most treasured possessions that he only wore on those special occasions. So many times he’d looked at it and wondered where he’d obtained it. A gift, he’d been sure, but he’d originally thought maybe from Geoff or an old caretaker.

 

Michael’s stomach soured and he closed the box before crawling back into bed with Gavin. There was only a token protest of being woken up before the two Little Brother’s entwined. They fell asleep with their foreheads pressed and their limbs tangled up.

 

~*~

 

Gavin had given Michael and Ray lessons on combat and after a few weeks they had really caught on. It was at the point that the Big Daddies let their boys wander off with the promise that they’d stay in Olympus Heights and only in the areas that were close to vents.

 

Michael took Gavin for a little adventure to get their minds off the heavy decision of Dan’s life. The human wasn’t allowed out of his room and he’d been surprisingly good at staying put (though with frequent visits from his fellow Brit.) As a show of goodwill, Michael was hoping to find some gifts for the human. New clothes, soaps, a razor, and food. Maybe even chocolate to show that there were no hard feelings about him “stealing” Gavin from them.

 

Together they ventured to one of the middle floors of Mercury Suits, just a couple levels below the safe apartment. Michael peered into one of the apartments that was mostly boarded up and ransacked, nodding in approval. “If we can find an intact apartment, I think we can score some real goodies. This level is swanky.”

 

They each took a side of the floor and dipped in and out of apartments, snagging little useful things and trinkets to stuff into their shoulder bags. There was a large apartment towards the right side with its door blown off and they entered together. Gavin, being the best hunter that he was, crept in first in an animalistic crouch and felt the floorboards. His long fingers fanned across the wall and he tuned his ears, airing on the side of caution.

 

“There’s no one here,” he declared after a solid minute, sounding confidant.

 

“Good boy,” Michael purred, passing by the other boy and dragging his lacquered nails along his back. The cotton of the top bunched up briefly under his touch and it made Gavin shiver. “This place is great. A little ashy, but glorious. I bet there’s some real gems in here. Literally.”

 

They exchanged a good laugh and started to pick through the wreckage. Michael found an overturned box of jewelry and picked through it, cooing happily as he slashed the diamonds across the wall and watched how deeply it cut. They were _real_ jewels. He bagged them quickly, slipping gold hoops through his pierced ears and admiring them in his powder compact. Gavin, on the other hand, raided the shelves. He found several hand-written poetry books and stuffed them in his bag, hungry for a good cathartic cleansing. He came across a bunch of letters folded nice and neat and tucked into the creases of a blank diary. It looked no different from any other book but it was curiously untouched.

 

“Culpepper,” Gavin wondered out loud briefly before waving the letters at Michael. “Isn’t that the singer you like so much?”

 

“Oh, Miss. Anna Culpepper was _da-voom_ ,” Michael purred, standing up and brushing off his skirt. “Come on to the bathroom with me. I bet she has a ton of creams and makeup in there. Probably even some new brushes!” He came over to snatch his friend by the hand before almost skipping towards the bathroom. “She's the kind to wrap her stuff up nice and safe so it's probably all still untainted. I would love some new hair curlers!” He squeaked in excitement. “Can you imagine, Gavvy? _Me_ , with Miss. Anna Culpepper's _curlers_. It's a dream, is what it is! I can't wait to raid those closets.”

 

He tossed a grin over his shoulder. “She was the Voice of the Rebellion, you know. She sang protest songs against Andrew Ryan and was best friends with his mistress, Miss. Jasmine Jolene herself. She performed in front of the First Bank of Rapture after the big riots. She was fearless, absolutely fearless in every way. Just to touch her hand again would be everything to me. She’s a radiant, dark angel, Gavvy, my gosh. I have her records in the room, have I ever played them for you? When we get back...when…”

 

Michael’s hand fell limp from Gavin’s grip and the other boy frowned, confused to why his friend stopped so suddenly.

 

“Michael?” Gavin stepped around him, frowning at the horrified expression on his friend’s face. He cupped Michael’s shoulder and called his name again. “Brother? What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to be ill.”

 

Gavin followed the dulled gaze all the way into the depths of the bathroom. It was a large, extravagant place with steps leading down into it. It looked expensive and much too lavish for one person. Even with the water pooling heavy through the room only added to the strange beauty of it. There was an ivory vanity sink set up along the wall with a matching, swooping chair and lots of mirrors. Every inch of the counter was covered in lotions, perfume bottles, hair treatments, and lots of silver tubes that were a mix of makeup and cold creams. Brushes and combs and curlers - it was an endless display of loveliness.

 

And in the middle of the room was the epitome of [tragedy](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/bioshock/images/9/90/Anna_Culpepper%27s_Corpse.png/revision/latest?cb=20091226064845).

 

There was a tiled dais in the middle of the room, set up like a display with a tub embedded in the middle. Once, it must have been considered fancy, but now it held nothing but grime. There was a corpse lounging in the porcelain tub, skin tight and shriveled to the bones so they stood out in grotesque stripes. The skin was pulling away in places, showing off the grimace of teeth and the first flash of ribs. Cheeks were sunken to create morbid rivets and eye sockets were torn towards them in an eyeless stare. Black strands of matted hair clung to the scalp that was left, kissing at its forehead and cheeks. Blood mixed into the murky, filthy water that pooled shallowly in the tub, lapping at sprawled legs. The rotted bathrobe was saturated in the gross mixture, blood smeared in muddy stripes along the sides and across the corpse.

 

The throat was gaping like an obscene second mouth. Gavin gagged.

 

“By the ocean Herself,” Gavin wheezed, stumbling back until he bumped into a wall. He’d seen countless dead Splicers, had killed some himself, but very rarely did he see the corpse of a human. There was nothing deformed about this body beyond putrefaction. There wasn’t a whiff of ADAM here.

 

But Michael looked like he was going to collapse, pale as he was. His delicate hands were visibly shaking and Gavin so desperately wanted to hold them again. Heels clicked heavily off the floor as Michael forced himself to walk forward, every limb like lead. Despite Gavin’s little squawk of protest, Michael waded into the water until it kissed at his calves. It loudly lapped at him as he made his way toward the tub. Still slack-faced, he knelt down and soaked his stockings, the edges of his skirt submerged and sopping up the murky water. The usually immaculate Little Brother didn’t even flinch as his panties and garters got soaked.

 

Gavin saw the boy’s hand start to reach out and he sucked in a breath. “Michael, no.”

 

Michael tenderly cupped the shriveled hand that was draped over the side of the tub. His breath stuttered out and he stared at the skeletal fingers. He could feel the brittle flesh threatening to slide off him. He looked into that ruined face and _knew_.

 

It was like a television set. The pictures, his thoughts, collapsed in on themselves to create a bright line of light across a blackened screen, narrowing down into a singular point of light. Infinite, soundless, a beacon, like a lighthouse - and just as suddenly it was finite, fading. Then it cracked with jarring realization, spider web lines of broken glass until they crumbled away to reveal the bulbs and clockwork of reality. Then there was truth, the sinewy tissue of old lies and sugar-spun hallucinations and cruel reeducation ripped away to reveal the raw inside of this life. And it cut more deeply than any Splicer blade.

 

“What are we doing here?”

 

The words were so quiet that Gavin had to strain to hear them. They were low, husked.

 

“They killed her, slit her throat.” The glow in his eyes faded, threatening to flicker out. “She probably never even got to see the end of the Rebellion. Never spliced. Never...got a chance to make it out, to hide...or hole up. There are so many places to hide.” An ugly, choked sound escaped his coral-painted lips. “Why didn’t you _hide_?”

 

The ADAM gun fell from his slack fingers and disappeared below the water. He let go of the corpse’s hand and covered his face, cringing as the decay stench filled his nose. Tears streamed down his face only seconds before an agonized wail burst from his chest, barely muffled by his pampered palm. The illusion shattered and the painful shards of it shredded him from the inside out.

 

“Trapped like dogs,” Michael sputtered, nails digging pink lines in his skin as he tried to keep the words in. “Like _rats_!”

 

Gavin started toward the other with arms outstretched, whispering, “Michael, sweet Michael, just take some slow breaths. My boy, my Michael, please…”

 

He yelped when Michael suddenly stood and bolted past him, sloshing through the water much faster than should’ve been possible. The expression on Michael’s face was heartbreaking and the smaller Little Brother made no grab for him when he passed. He wanted to chase after him, truly, but he lingered behind to fish out Michael’s ADAM extractor and pay his last respects to Miss. Anna Culpepper.

 

“I didn’t know you, never saw you at all,” Gavin stated, holding both extractors and trying not to look directly at the corpse. “But Michael loved you a whole heck of a lot and I’m sorry this happened to you. I hope it was...quick and all.”

 

He fumbled nervously, water sloshing loudly as he backed up.

 

“Uh, Amen?”

 

~*~

 

Michael didn’t know where he was running to but the sound of his heels clacking off tile and marble was ringing in his ears. He burst into the side stairwell and took them two at a time with his hands clinging to the railing. It thankfully lead out of Mercury Suites and he spilled into the remnants of the open market cul de sac. The shops were mostly in ruins but he couldn’t bear to be inside the apartment building a moment longer. He made his way to the nearest shop, and ducked inside past the boarding. It seemed to have once been some kind of jewelry shop but he didn’t care, not as long as he couldn’t be seen. He wanted to hide away from the light, to smother himself in shadows and hopefully disappear.

 

Michael scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes and backed up until his hips hit one of the few counters still standing. He hated how pathetic his sniveling sounded and he was glad to be in the near pitch of the destroyed store. There was a dim, broken lamp in the corner but not much else. His shoulders sagged and another ugly sob shook through him.

 

But there was another sound in the store.

 

“ _Non, trop laid. Celui-ci est pas bon non plus._ ”

 

Michael froze at the throaty, mangled French. His eyes slowly widened and barely managed to turn his head to find the source of the noise.

 

“ _Il faut mieux…_ ”

 

Michael gaped dumbly at the spatter of broken glass and jewels not ten feet away. The light was catching on the edges, sparkling. There were more mutterings in the foreign language he mostly understood and he saw the figure beside it, hunched over the hunk of jewels and clawing through it. Long, bloody fingers plucked up gems before holding them up to the light, then tossing them away. The figure’s face turned up to the light and his stomach churned.

 

It was a human. Or, what was once a human. It had long, greasy blonde curls with matted, torn locks at the top. Her face was smudged in old, cracked make up and her mouth was split on one side, stitched up all the way to her ear. Her neck and chest were swollen, deformed. _Spliced_. Her ballgown and gloves were bloodstained and tattered but they held a hint of elegances still.

 

“Oh?” Too-shiny eyes settled on him, jewels dropping to the ground again. “What is this? Pretty animal come to me?”

 

That thick accent and the basic features - it didn’t take long to put it together. He recognized her, or who she used to be. Michael’s throat was dry and his mouth tasted like saline, but he managed to find his voice.

 

“ _Mlle Blanche de Glace_ ,” Michael drawled with a lilt, hitting all the right notes with a dead stare at the Splicer. His lips twitched up but only for a second. When he spoke again he barely recognized his own voice, hollow as it was. “I’ve seen all your movies.”

 

“I can give you liberty, _mon petit._ ” The woman’s grin was revolting, skin stretching wide to show off teeth like a grimace to rival that of Culpepper's own. Blanche’s hands seemed to slither, flexing before her fingers bowed like claws. “Those pigs won’t get you, girl, you’re _mine_!”

 

In a split second decision, Michael braced his hands on the edge of the counter and hefted himself up and out of his heels in one smooth movement. Fresh tears tracking down his cheeks, Michael ran full speed at the door and dove between the boards. The jagged edges caught on his clothes and shredded the fabric, some of it falling away as he came out the other side. Behind him, he could hear Blanche growling and clawing at the boards, trying to fit her ADAM-swollen body through to no avail.

 

Michael headed back to Mercury Suits and dove into the first vent he could find, disappearing out of sight.

 

~*~

 

Michael slid from the vent and spilled into his room, only to be filled with a blind fury. His bedroom was covered in pictures - the ladies of Rapture, starlets from the surface, and unnamed models from fashion magazines. Dozens upon dozens of gorgeous faces stared at him in judgment, smoky eyes boring holes into him and cherry lips mocking him, elegant hands reaching out for him not in comfort but in want of choking the life from him.

 

Silks tied to lamps, strings of beads and pearls hanging from curtain rods, shelves covered in paperback novels, figurines of kittens and ballerinas, little chalk drawings on the walls. His bed covered in shades of pink, squishy pillows and small velvet blankets and silk sheets. The stuffed bears on the shelf above it, including his favorite black bear with a red bow, “Mogar”. And Egg, Gavin’s ragged giraffe. There were little paper cranes from Geoff hanging from thin strings hooked to the ceiling. One of Ray’s prettier stitchpunk dolls were sitting on his vanity, crafted from golden zippers and bleached out denim with big, ivory button eyes.

 

Michael teared up, face scrunching as his heart clenched up deep behind ribs that felt both sharp and paper thin. This was the room of a _child_. That’s all he was. He ran his hands down his sides and cringed at the lack of curve, and when his fingers spanned over his chest another trickle of tears made it past his lashes. A science experiment, that’s all he was. A fucked up little boy posing as a girl masquerading as a starlet. He plastered these pictures around him and put on furs and garters and somehow he’d tricked himself into thinking he was something important, that he was some sort of potential movie star and all of Rapture was his audience.

  
It had been a heavily woven lie, a fantasy full of false hope. Some of it had been crafted by the drugs, though most from those “lessons” in the orphanages and labs...but this little haven had been all of his own doing. He had built this gilded cage and here he had let himself truly believe that his life meant something.

 

Michael threw himself at the nearest wall with an almost manic fury. Painted nails scraped over the firm lines of pictures and plucked out tacks without a thought to how they pricked him. He dragged his fingers and shredded the images, slicing through perfectly curled hair and elegant dresses. His fingers were bleeding by the time he finished the first wall but that didn’t stop him from wading through the puddle of bunched up debris scattered all over the floor.

 

The door was yanked open and Gavin stumbled in, out of breath and flushed more than usual. He looked at the torn pictures and Michael’s tear-streaked, sneering face. “Michael, what’s wrong! Please, boy, talk to me. Let me help you!”

 

“You can’t!” Michael overturned a small side table to get closer to the wall, starting on scraping off all the thick layer of pictures there. “It’s not _real_! They put it in my head. Look what they made me do. I can _never_ be like them!” He climbed up on his dresser, trinkets and garters falling to the floor in his haste. He got on his knees and clawed down the collage of Audrey Hepburn and Claudia Cardinale, dragging his chipped nails through their flawless faces. “They were independent and beautiful, and I’m just a little monster!”

 

Gavin’s lip quivered as his friend carelessly ripped apart the fake flowers that had been so lovingly glued to the wall beside Hepburn’s bright smiling photo. “No, don’t do it...please, Michael, stop it…”  

 

“I’m never going to age.” He growled out the last word as he jumped off the dresser and started down the rest of the wall, blubber nonsense as he tore down his ‘Ryan’s Songbird’ poster. “I’m never going to be normal. Not _ever_.”

 

Gavin tried to cover his face with his hands but he couldn’t look away. “Y-You’re scaring me, Michael.”

 

“Do you see this?” Michael fisted up a picture of Jasmine Jolene and shook it at him. “No one’s ever going to look at me and love me like they did them! No one knows who or where we are. No one cares about our little freakshow.”

 

Gavin sobbed at the cruel word and tried to wipe away his tears before the other saw. But Michael wasn’t blind, he could see the misery he was inflicting upon the other Little Brother with his tantrum. It only enforced how much of a bastard he thought of himself. Here he was, hurting his dove for no reason other than his own fucked up mind. His eyes fell to his smaller dresser near the bed and he made a beeline for it, yanking open the drawer so hard it almost broke the inner hinge. He hands dove into stacks of stockings and garters and nighties and dragged out one at a time. He dug his fingers into the hem, polish already long chipped away, and _ripped_. Delicate material gave way in strips that joined the furled up remnants of starlets on the floor.

 

He heard Gavin yelp and leave and he didn’t blame him. One after another he destroyed his beautiful finery, even going as far as to dig his teeth into the lace to shred it. It practically melted in the easy way it unraveled.

 

Michael was picking through the third drawer when he heard someone come back in. He whirled around to bark at Gavin to just leave, to go back to his human. But it wasn’t just his Brother, it was his Big Daddy. Another bout of angry tears came and he went back to the silks, taking lesser satisfaction now as he destroyed his favorite possessions.

 

“Michael,” Geoff’s voice was soothing, though behind him Gavin was trying to smother his anguished sounds. “I’m here, baby doll. What’s wrong? What happened?”

 

Michael’s curls bounced as he shook his head.

 

“W-We found Anna Culpepper,” Gavin stuttered out quietly. “Michael loved her…”

 

“Shut up, Gavin!” Michael barked, fingers tangled up a heavy strand of pearls that gave after a heavy tug.

 

“Oh Michael,” Geoff sighed, easing closer a little at a time so as not to startle his boy. “Baby, stop destroying your stuff. All your pretty things, they made you so happy. You’re going to be devastated tomorrow morning. Come on, Little Boy, just slow down and breathe for me?”

 

Michael turned on the soles of his feet and flashed his teeth at the man. “Fuck you!”

 

Geoff flinched at those harsh words. “Michael?”

 

“Don’t you fucking touch me, don’t you do it!” Michael pressed up against the dresser like biting prey.  Geoff saw his boy’s blood fingertips, two fingers missing nails and bleeding. He shook his head before quickly stepping forward, snatching the Little Brother under the arms and picking him up without much effort. Michael wiggled and screeched but Geoff didn’t relent. He slammed the boy down onto the bed as gently as he could and pinned him by the hips, two heavy hands curled tight to keep him against the mattress.

 

“Calm down!” Geoff ordered firmly as his arms were uselessly scratched and slapped at. He was protected but that wasn’t what he was worried about. “You have to stop and just _breathe_ for a second, Michael. You’re hurting yourself. Baby, look at your pretty nails, you’re bleeding.”

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Michael sobbed openly. “I don’t matter.”

 

Geoff frowned. “Of course you do.”

 

“Rapture...was a _mistake_.” Michael’s voice crackled, finally calming down enough to look his Big Daddy in the face. “And we’re its children. We belong here to rot so we don’t taint the surface with our _filth_.”

 

“No, Michael,” Geoff lied, lips twitching briefly into a grimace. _Damn, it’s coming full circle. Just like Suchong said. I thought I could change it._

 

“Ryan was right, Geoff,” Michael admitted, eyes more clear than the other had ever seen them. “We’re all monsters. If I leave you, I’ll _die_.”

 

“You can live without ADAM,” Geoff promised. He lifted his hand from the boy’s hip and cupped his cheek instead. He could smell the salt and feel the tacky skin. His Little Boy had been crying for a while and it hurt his heart.

 

Michael sucked in an earful breath, gazing up at the Big Daddy with pure torment in the depths of his eyes. “But I can’t live with a broken heart. I’m nothing without you.”

 

Geoff huffed before dipping down to slant his lips across Michael’s. The boy moaned like it hurt but he clung to his guardian as best he could, legs hitching up around his waist and arms tight around his neck. Michael kissed him like he was drowning and Geoff truly felt like he was being smothered right along with him. The air felt as thick as the water just outside these walls and on the other side of the dome. They pressed close, trying to melt together and immerse in one another to chase away the bad feelings bubbling like poison in their bellies.  

 

“Fuck me, Daddy,” Michael begged shamelessly, fingers curled tight in dark locks. “Remind me why it’s worth it.”

 

Geoff felt his eyes burn at the sight of his Little Boy’s thick stream of tears, mascara and eyeshadow smeared across freckles. “My little Michael....no, doll, not while you’re like this. That won’t help you one bit.”

 

“B-But-”

 

Geoff silenced him with a much gentler kiss. Michael fought him at first, biting at his lip and trying to push him off with sheer force. But Geoff cupped the boys’ nape and lower back and moved to lay on his side, tucking Michael in close to his body. With every kiss to cinnamon curls and a smooth forehead, Michael was soothed. He started to calm, burying his face in Geoff’s collar and letting his hands fist into his guardian’s jacket. He smelled like char and sea salt, and underneath it all was the warm glow of ADAM.

 

Michael kissed at the dip of the throat in front of him and shuddered as he felt heat of blood beneath the flesh. “We’re going to die down here.”

 

Geoff tugged off his glove and let his bare fingers curl around “Then we'll die together.”

 

* * *

 

**I hope you guys enjoyed this! One more chapter left, then a separate epilogue. Feedback is beyond appreciated!! Here's some amazing fanart I've seen recently for this fic!**

 

**(source: the lovely[jeneai](http://jeneai.tumblr.com/))**

 

** **

**([source](http://ritsa-abril.tumblr.com/post/123419176024/emono-omae-i-heard-youre-not-feeling-good-and-i), you are so kind)**

  
  
([Source](http://paintedmirrorsandroses.tumblr.com/post/122796085486/would-you-kindly-daddy-by-emono-omae-fanart), I STILL WANT TO SEE THE DANVIN ONE I DONT CARE HOW MESSY)


	18. An Ending Must Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan's story is written into the Rapture archives...in blood.

Ryan let out a string of protesting grunts as Geoff led him back to the main apartment. He and Ray still had their little set up but they were little by little moving their stuff here to be closer to their new little family. The Lads were currently in the room down the hall with Dan, listening to stories about a surface war. Ryan had wanted to monitor all their interactions ever since he'd learned of Michael's willingness to treat the human like a lover (though he'd promised he wouldn't do it again). Geoff led him by the elbow into the apartment and to the side room, the one beside the playroom.

  


“Look at this,” Geoff insisted as he pulled out the papers from two different files. Ryan frowned as he looked over the project names and saw how they lined up perfectly side by side. They were the schematics for Dan and Jack, the mysterious twin and 'savior' who had escaped Rapture with all those Little Brothers. “Don't they look familiar?”

  


Ryan's brow furrowed and he gaped dumbly a few times.

  


Geoff's expression softened up. “Is it one of your bad days, buddy?”

  


Ryan's shoulders slumped and he nodded. On his worst days he could barely remember his own name let alone Ray's, but Geoff was always a friendly face. On those days, Geoff always ended up leading him around, letting him trail behind like a mindless dog on patrol. It used to be he'd leave Ray alone locked in the room while he struggled to remember who he was, where he belonged. Now Ray had a safe place with their little family on those days.

  


“Look at it, _really_ look,” Geoff urged. “I know I said us and him were kind of kissing cousins but he matches up really well.” He flipped open his own file and tugged out his schematics, pushing aside the strange feeling he got seeing himself dissected and labeled and cut into section on a piece of paper. “I was the last success. Everything on these papers...I’m not an engineer or one of those creepy geniuses, but I’ve been around them enough to know these are _close_ .”  
  
Ryan grunted, looking at the pages.

  


“His DNA is ripe for it,” Geoff breathed out, getting a little lost in the possibilities. He thought of everything he’d seen, Dan’s familiar face and how he _knew_ the boy belonged with them whether he liked it or not. He couldn’t deny his place but he couldn’t allow the soldier to rip his family apart. “Ryan. We could turn him into one of us.”

  


Ryan’s eyes went wide. “Treatments!”

  


“So what if he didn’t get tortured like we did?” Geoff sneered. “He’s primed! That’s all that matters! We could put him in The Chamber to cook.”

  


Ryan stared at him in mute horror as a tremble started to build up in his fingers and work up his arms, spreading like a web into his chest until his entire hulking form was shaking. His time in The Chamber came back in sharp flashes - needles that pierced him down to the bone, blazing hot rushes of drugs, the fevers, the restraints, tubes down his throat and into his stomach pumping in nutrigel. Not being sedated enough and waking up in heavy fluid and alone in the dark. Drowning. Suffocating. Surges of electricity running straight into his brain and taking away his memories, his feelings, his soul.

  


Geoff took Ryan’s face between his hands and hushed him, thumbs running over his cheeks to wipe away silent tears. He could see the panic in Ryan’s eyes and he tried to ground him. “It’s over now, buddy. I’m right here with you.”

  


“T-The human…”

  


“They improved The Chamber a lot after it fried you. That’s how I was made.” Geoff tried to smile and keep him calm. “It administers scheduled steroid and hormone shots and has all that good gel that made our skin so tough.”

  


Ryan dropped to his knees and hugged Geoff around the waist, burying his face in his stomach. “Geoff. Hurt. No kill.”

  


“We won’t kill him. No one else is going to die,” Geoff promised as he cupped the back of his friend’s head, heart aching as he made tiny, hurt noises. “I’ll read all the lab notes and take a look at it, double check everything before we decide.” Ryan nodded, still clutching him tight. Geoff hummed smoothly and the other shuddered very faintly, starting to relax against him. “We can give Gavin a real Big Daddy, won’t that be good?”

  


Ryan’s gloved fingers dug into his hips. “Mnn.”

  


Geoff’s heart sunk into his stomach and he sighed. _If the boys don’t decide to leave, that is._

  


~*~

  


Geoff took the Lads into Michael’s bedroom and sat them all down. They looked to him with hope and a tinge of fear and it only made him feel worse. He hated himself for what he was about to ask, but he truly knew there wasn’t much choice for any of them anywhere. Their world was dying, growing smaller and things would never get any better.

  


It would be better to be together when the end came. Or to have the Little Brothers safe on the surface.

  


“My boys,” Geoff sighed, hand falling heavy on Michael’s back and scooting him a little closer. All three waddled closer on their knees, bed squishing under their weight as they got close enough to lay their hands on his crossed legs. “There is something I need to ask you. I know you’ve all been thinking of leaving for the surface world.”

  


“We’re taking it seriously,” Gavin promised. A shadow passed over the other two boys faces.

  


“That decision is yours alone, I’m not here to convince you otherwise.” Geoff’s uncovered fingers trailed up and thumbed over Michael’s smooth jaw. He memorized the feelings, just in case. “I just want to tell you what we’ll do if you stay.”

  


Gavin’s lips pursed, eyes shining bright. “You want to kill Dan.”

  


“No, I don’t want to murder your soldier,” Geoff scoffed, failing to push aside his jealousy. “In fact, I want to give him to you properly.”

  


Ray frowned a little. “What do you mean?”

  


“I’ll save you boys the boring science behind it, and I still need to go over some things, but…” Geoff hesitated but he’d already started and they were looking so eagerly. _Once I say it, it’s real._ “We can make him a Big Daddy.”

  


Gavin looked as if he’d grown another head. When he spoke his accent was thick. “What?”

  


“He would be like me, or close to it. If it goes well, we could retain most of what makes him _him_ ,” Geoff explained. “I won’t let what happened to Ryan happen to the human. He’ll be as safe as possible.”

  


Gavin was sick with a strange mixture of fear and hope, stomach churning so hard he was afraid he’d throw up. He rubbed his belly and stared down at the sheets, trying to process what he was being told.

  


“Dan is a sweet thing,” Michael crooned, looking strangely sad. “Do we really have to change him? Not that I would mind having another Big Daddy around, but Dan is a capable man.”

  


“Capable and unfortunately very human,” Geoff pointed out. “He would be fine at first, yes, if you could convince him to stay. But this place isn’t safe. Full of filth and monsters. If he got injured he could get an infection, could lose limbs and become a liability...he could get sick just from breathing this dank air all the time. He’d rot from the inside out.”

  


“Food,” Ray breathed out, fingers twiddling in his dark skirt. “If the Splicers didn’t get him, he’ll starve. He can’t live on ADAM and candy like us.”

  


“ _Oh_.” The sound punched out of Michael and his shoulders slumped. He wasn’t dumb, not by far, but he hadn’t considered Dan’s humanity. “All the water in the city...it’s tainted. All the ADAM and corpses, it’d probably make him sick?”

  


Geoff was surprised that Michael said ‘corpses’ instead of ‘angels’. _My poor darling. The world really is unraveling for you, isn’t it? All those carefully spun illusions, the conditioning....I’d build it all again for you, if I could._ “Yes, horribly. How he’s lasted this long is a surprise.”

  


“My Daniel,” Gavin whined meekly. He thought of his strong, proud soldier crippled with sores and a fever. Moaning in starvation, clutching his stomach, praying for a swift death to end the agony. He hid a quivering lip behind his hand, heart aching horribly. He didn’t care if it was synthetic, he loved Daniel with all he was and to see him suffering would kill him.”I can’t watch him wither away. He’s so bright, and strong...my human, my soldier.”

  


Geoff’s throat went tight as he listened to the Little Brother lament about Daniel. The sting of subconscious rejection was still fresh. Gavin hadn’t forgotten about him but the past few nights he’d crawled out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the human. Though Dan hadn’t done anything on purpose, they’d both been bred and groomed to imprint on one another. A side experiment, possibly a technique for next generation Big Daddies, and successful. They had bonded faster than Geoff had ever seen, more deeply laced than even he and Michael had been at first. It was hard to listen to but he knew eventually he would get over it.    

  


“Gavin. It’s up to you in the end. He would be your Big Daddy, after all.”

  


Gavin slid off the bed and turned away, arms crossed over himself protectively. He stared blindly at the wall as he tried to imagine their lives, with or without the change. It was such a flurry of events, a busy mess of ADAM and survival and blood - he couldn’t fathom it.

  


Michael scooted closer to the edge, reaching out and thumbing the bottom of the other’s high waisted red shorts that looked so nice against his tan skin. “Gavvy?”

  


“I...I need time to think.” Gavin’s voice was shaking so bad he tripped over every word, accent butchering them. He pulled away from Michael and walked out, barely managing to slide into his slippers before he disappeared. Michael got up to follow him but Geoff took his hand, thumbing over it and shaking his head.

  


“Leave him alone, doll. This is important, he needs to figure out exactly what he wants.”

  


There were unshed tears shining in those dark eyes. “I thought he wanted us.”

  


Geoff tried to smile. “We can’t ask him to choose us over Dan. No more than he could ask you to choose him over me.”

  


Ray had twisted a tear into his skirt, lower lip raw from chewing as he looked to the door like Gavin would come back. “I want to see the sun, but I can’t leave Ryan. I-I can’t leave you guys.”

  


“Hush, little one.” Geoff leaned over and kissed his cheek, brushing his nose over the silky skin. “There’s still time to think about it. You’re so young, so sweet...you deserve a life on the surface.”

  


Michael huffed and slid off the bed, smoothing his own skirt with a flare. “A life without family isn’t a life.”

  


“Michael-”

  


“I’m going to go sort through those magazines Ryan brought me,” Michael tisked dismissively, sliding into his kitten heels before leaving for the playroom. “I need to redo the walls. These bare walls are depressing.”

  


Geoff watched him go and let Ray fit up close to his side, cradling the boy close. Since the incident the other day, most of the sweetness had bled from Michael’s voice. No matter how much ADAM he processed, or how happy he seemed, his eyes never went stronger than a dull glow.

  


Everything was changing.

  


~*~

  


Dan was repairing a rifle when Gavin burst into his makeshift bedroom-combo-prison cell. He’d been giving relatively fresh bedding and a few books, some weapons to fix and keep his hands busy. Ray and Gavin brought him food and bottled drinks. The Atlantic was freshwater but it still had a taste to it that he was afraid would catch up with him sooner rather than later.

  


Gavin looked a strange mix of neutral and solemn, too serious for his light nature. He put aside the gun and turned toward him, leg tucked under him. “My darling...what’s wrong? You look sullen.”

  


Gavin shook his head and crawled onto the bed, moving up and over him until the Little Brother straddled his lap. He was a little surprised but he welcomed it, palms cupping lithe hips with an almost worshipful tenderness. Even looking so sad, Gavin was a little angel in his lap, fit to bare wings and holy light.  
  
“ Let me help,” Dan implored, searching the other’s face. “Anything you need, I will give you. My sweetest little bird, my dove-”  
  
Dan’s face was taken between two soft hands and he was dragged into a kiss. It was surprisingly dominant so Dan melted into it, letting the boy have whatever he needed. He hugged Gavin’s waist and pressed them as close as they could be, kissing back as best he could with those hungry lips and bold tongue. He tried to breathe through his nose but he was smothered in the Little Brother’s scent and heat but he was glad to drown in it.

  


Gavin broke the kiss and Dan chased after it. “No, I beg you, don’t relieve me of your sweet lips. Take some joy from them, my darling, take it all. I am yours.”

  


“You are,” Gavin breathed the words like an awed realization, bright eyes dancing all over his face. “You mean it.”

  


“I would never lie to you,” Dan swore, taking up his hand and kissing his knuckles. “You are my everything now, my little world wrapped up in the most beautiful form I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

  


“Daniel,” Gavin warbled, tears brimming along his golden lashes. He sniffled and quickly scrubbed a hand over his face. “I want you.”

  


Dan frowned a little. “Gavin-”

  


He got pulled into another overwhelming kiss and he tried to protest, pushing at Gavin’s thighs to put some distance between them, but he surrendered under the feeling of silky skin against his fingertips. Gavin bit at his lip and then dove his tongue inside, twisting with his own in a dizzy dance.

  


“Do it,” Gavin demanded, hands falling down to pull at his belt and fly, fingers skidding over a zipper and tough button. “Have me right here, right now.”

  


Dan tried to fight even as his cock started to fatten up. “Please, darling, something is bothering you.”

  


Gavin’s hand shot out and clamped over his throat, setting in motion an instinct to strike out for survival. He restrained himself, staring into blazingly hot emerald eyes that glowed so fiercely he could feel them cutting into him.

  


“I need you. _Now_.”

  


Dan’s breath caught and he nodded dumbly. “Yes, love. Anything.”

  


~*~*~*~

 

“Where are we going?” Dan asked for the third time, the three Little Brothers all tugging him along into the depths of Rapture. He’d defended them a few times, their Big Daddies nowhere to be seen. The boys were almost bittersweet with their small smiles and insistent hands.

  


“Come on, Danny.”

  


“Just a little bit farther.”

  


“Down here, my love.”

  


Dan recognized the Alpha lab and as they squeezed down into the floor and through the rubble and past a pushed-aside metal plate they emerged into the secret lab that had developed the Beta Series. Geoff and Ryan were waiting there for him. The sight of the two Big Daddies had his heart picking up a painful rhythm that pounded behind his ribs. Everyone looked oddly serious and he wasn’t sure what it meant.

  


He jumped at the scrape of metal on tile. He turned around and Michael had slid the metal plate back into place over the entrance. He’d forgotten how strong the Little Brothers were under their innocent facades. He looked back at the others and they were staring at him, the boys gathering around. Michael’s hands were buttery soft against his back, roaming over his shoulder and arm as he circled around to face him with the others.

  


“Boys?”

  


“Daniel.” Michael smile lovingly at him. “We’ve all been thinking about what you said. Going to the surface, living with you. Gosh, it’s a dream.”

  


“It’s more than we could ever ask for,” Ray mumbled, fingers fiddling with frilly end of his top.

  


“More than we thought we ever wanted,” Gavin added quietly, chewing at the side of his lip.

  


“It’s not that we don’t want to,” Michael clarified.

  


“It’s just that Ryan means everything to me,” Ray cut in, fingers looking shaky. “He’s saved me from death or worse. Leaving him would be like ripping myself at the seams.”

  


“And Geoff was the first man to be kind to me, to show me respect.” Michael’s eyes were warm, smile fond as he thought of how he’d met his Big Daddy. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”

  


“That’s your choice,” Dan stated, voice heavy with sadness. “The thought of never seeing you boys again hurts me, I won’t lie. I hate to think of Gavin alone up there with me. He’ll miss you both terribly. But we can try to visit.”

  


Michael took Gavin’s hand in his, lacing their fingers and moving protectively in front of him. “Gavvy won’t miss us. We’re not going anywhere.”

  


Dan looked as if he’d been smacked, cheeks washing of color. “Darling...are you not going back with me?”

  


Gavin’s eyes were already wet with anguish and he sniffled delicately, wiping at his eyes with his free hand. “I-I don’t think I could ever be parted from you again. I feel as close to you as I have to anyone. Just like they can’t leave their Big Daddies...I can’t leave you.”

  


Dan’s brow furrowed up and he started to look nervous. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Have you decided to go back up with me or not?”

  


“None of us can bare to leave,” Gavin answered vaguely, clinging to Michael for strength. “But...we can’t bare to let you go either.”

  


Dan simply stared, unsure, until Geoff cleared his throat. The Big Daddy stepped forward and put on a small, sincere smile. “Daniel, listen. We haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. You may think I hate you but I don’t. No matter what I’ve done or said...Gavin’s happiness means everything to me. Now you’re the source of that happiness. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

  


Dan took a step back, confusion churning into sick anticipation. Geoff had never spoken to him with such tenderness and it set him off-kilter. “What do you mean?”

  


Geoff continued carefully, “With some more extensive research and comparing notes, I believe full heartedly we can turn you into a Big Daddy.”

  


Dan’s jaw dropped, shellshocked.

  


“Doesn’t that sound nice?” Geoff urged, gesturing subtly for Ryan to stay alert. “You could fully imprint upon Gavin and be completely one of us, join our family.” He could see the human starting to panic. “Besides the ADAM dependency, it can be very nice down here. All the Splicers you can take your rage out on, a sense of purpose, good company, the beauty of the ocean. I won’t blow smoke up your ass about Rapture being paradise but it isn’t the worst place to live your life.”

  


“Live my life,” Dan repeated stupidly, blinking dully at the Big Daddy as he truly processed what he was hearing. “You think...there’s a life to live down here? That there’s something worth enjoying in this rotting water prison?” His voice picked up strength and a flicker of rage danced over his face. “This family you’ve created, this life - it’s a facade. It’s bloody _fake_ ! This isn’t something to protect, it’s something to _forget_.”

  


He took another step back and golden swirls appeared around Ryan’s gloved fingers.

  


“I wanted to save you.” Dan looked at the Little Brothers and their sad little faces. “I really did. But I can see it now - there really is nothing left saving here. Not with this spider in your ear.”

  


“Spider?” Geoff’s temper snapped to the forefront like a whip. “I’m a leader here. I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone.”

  


“ _Lies_ ,” Dan spat in accusation. “You’re a lonely, controlling bastard. You’re the smartest of the monsters so you want to be in charge, you want to keep them close though you know it’s the end.”

  


Ryan flared. “Not monsters!”

  


“You _are_ !” Dan roared. “A sputter of monsters in a prison where you’ll rot and _die_. Only a monster would keep these precious boys in the dark. They’re like flowers to you, I can see that now.” He scoffed in disgust. “You want to keep them cold and pressed in a book where you can play with them whenever you want. Haywood here is your great hellhound to keep the weeds out.”

  


Ray hid his quivering lip behind his hand, a few quiet tears slipping down his round cheeks. “D-Daniel…”

  


“I’m sorry. Ray, Michael.” His eyes fell to Gavin and his heart trembled. “Gavin. My greatest love. I’m sorry. Forgive me a thousand times over, I beg you, but I cannot stay here.” He swallowed past his swollen, broken heart. “I will miss you terribly. I don’t know how long I’ll survive without you…”

  


“You won’t. Neither of us will.” Gavin choked on a sob, practically crawling onto Michael as he grew more anxious. “Which is why you...won’t.”

  


“What?” Dan took another step back and he could feel the Plasmid power starting to radiate off Ryan. It all clicked into place. “ _Oh_.”

  


“I gave you a chance to choose,” Geoff reminded as he watched Ryan start to stalk forward. “This could have been easy, simple. But you want it to hurt.”

  


Dan made a split decision and ran, heading for the metal plate that covered up the one exit. He let his heart behind, giving into base survival instinct to protect himself. Mid-stride, his feet stopped hitting tile. Gold had bled around his calves and feet, seizing his waist like a vice. He was picked up off the ground, hands grasping and feet kicking as he tried to break free.

  


Dan whirled around mid-air, legs drawn as if to pounce and fist raised. Flames consumed his knuckles and he snarled, gaze feral as they’d ever seen it. Geoff expected some kind of righteous statement but his actions spoke louder than any bark. Looking wild and ready to kill, Dan shot a deadly whirl of flames at the Big Daddies. Geoff wiped his hand through the air and the flames hit cloud of frost, fizzling out.

  


Dan didn’t give up, sending out a volley of spitfires. Michael grabbed his Brothers and yanked them behind some cabinets and the Big Daddies advanced, ready to seize the human. Armor and skin were charred and seared but they didn’t even flinch, determined and unharmed with their enhanced flesh. Dan switched it up, knuckles cracking and fingers clawing up before he got in a lucky shot of electrobolt that cracked Ryan in the jaw.

  


The golden grasp of telekinesis faded away but Geoff didn’t let the soldier hit the ground. Dust and debris picked up in a circling trap beneath Dan’s feet and he shouted in frustration when he was kept suspended in the air. He was snatched, plucked easily from his helpless position, and with an enraged cry electricity spurted over the hands of the Big Daddies and up their arms. It did little but make them angrier.

  


“Let me go!” Dan squirmed violently between them, kicking at their ribs since his arms were seized. “I won’t do it! I won’t be one of you.” He yanked so hard he almost popped his shoulder out of place. He tried to calm and put on a reasonable voice but there was an underlying hysteria to it. “You’ll fucking kill me doing it, I know it. You can’t know how to work all this?”

  


He wheezed as they started dragging him towards an open, ominous looking pod. “No, please, no, don’t do this. You don’t have to...w-we can…” The back of his legs hit the pod and he strained away from them, making a desperate sound that tore at his throat. He looked around for a weapon, a way to stop this, but all he could see were the Little Brothers.

  


“Gavin,” Dan pleaded with sharp, agonized breaths. “You’d let them do this to me?”

  


Gavin stood up and shook off the grasping hands of the other two boys, ignoring their concerned whimpers. He walked toward them, arms crossed over himself, shoulders shaking as tears slipped down his cheeks and turned pink as they passed through the blush Michael had swept onto his cheekbones just a few hours ago. He stopped in front of the human and swallowed thickly, looking to Geoff for strength. The Big Daddy nodded, keeping his grip strong.

  


Gavin took a long, shaky breath as he pried his hands off his sides and reached out to his lover. Dan flinched as his jaw was cupped on both sides with heartbreaking gentleness.

  


“Let them do this,” Gavin implored, staring into those liquid chocolate eyes that he loved so much. “Be with me forever.” He took a low, shaky breath before attempting a smile. “Would you kindly, Daddy?”

  


Just like before, a switch seemed to be flipped within the depths of Dan’s mind. He went slack in the grip of the Big Daddies, the fight drained out of him. He was easily dragged up and into the elevated pod, laid within the allotted slot that seemed too big for him. He had a sickening suspicion that he would soon fill it out. Dan’s eyes never left Gavin’s own as they started to strap him in at the joints, silently begging the Little Brother to stop the process.

  


Near the cabinets, Ray fussed over Ryan. Small, supple hands ran over the Big Daddy’s raw wounds with increasing concern.

  


“H-He’ll be alright,” Gavin faltered with a weak smile. “Won’t he, Geoff?”

  


“He’ll be just fine,” Geoff promised as he carefully slid a needle into each of Dan’s inner arms, watching the muscles flex. “I turned out alright, didn’t I?”

  


Gavin’s smile turned reassuring and he leaned down in the pod to rub the soldier’s calves. “It’ll be just like sleeping. You’ll close your eyes, and wake back up all nice and new, and I’ll be right here waiting for you, love. You’ll be my new Daddy, my one. We’ll be together just like it was meant to be. Just like Dr. Tenenbaum wanted.”

  


His eyes flared bright and Dan whined in the back of his throat, voice nearly stolen from obeying the conditioning. “We’ll find angel together, Daddy. We’ll fight the baddies and be with the family, find others maybe. And we’ll all live happily ever after.” His smile was pure spun sugar. “Doesn’t that sound nice?”

  


“You’re killing me,” Dan croaked, pleading. “Please, Gavin…”

  


“You’re not going to die, I can promise that for sure.” Geoff buckled in the soldier’s throat before grabbing the thick feeding tube. “Do you want to be awake for this or not?”

  


Dan looked between the rubber tube and the man, scowling deeply. “Go fuck yourself.”

  


Geoff laid his palm on Dan’s forehead. “Gavin, go stand with the boys. I’ll take it from here.”

  


Dan’s heart sank as the Little Brother walked away without even a glance back, so trusting of Geoff’s word that it made him sick. The hose was eased past his lips and teeth, sliding stiffly over his palate and tongue. It tapped at the back of his throat and he started to gag, retching dryly as it snaked down and deep until it hit his stomach. His whole body convulsed, throbbing and clenching around the tube as he tried to expel it. Eventually his system settled down and he could breathe a little through his nose.

  


_I’m dying. I’m dying and they’re going to watch._

  


“It’ll get easier once you’re asleep,” Geoff assured him as he started to lay the sensors across Dan’s temples and chest, clicking plastic censors around a finger on each hand. “You’ll fall asleep before the fluid fills up this place.” Panic came back to Dan’s eyes as two padded clamps were placed over his ears, a plastic shell placed around the tube to cover his mouth. Medical tape was noisily extended and placed over a few things to keep them in place.

  


A finger ran over his cheek and he turned his head away. “Goodnight, Daniel. It’ll be over soon.”

  


Geoff pressed the large, round button on the console beside the pod and it began to hum to life, glowing and pulsing with potential. A muffled scream came from the soldier but it slowly cut off as the glass dome of the pod started to lower. Several wordless pleas escaped before the dome closed completely, sealing with a hiss of air. It reclined until it laid flat on the floor, settling in with a loud grind of machinery.

  


Ray pawed at his Big Daddy’s shirt. “He’s gonna’ suffocate…”

  


“No,” Ryan promised, patting at his back. “Water he can breathe.”

  


The Little Brothers were confused, Gavin white as a sheet, and seconds later the pod started to pump in fluid. It was minty green and clean looking, even so far as ‘fresh’. It poured in steadily from all sides and through the glass they could see Dan straining against his restraints. Geoff didn’t look at the boy, only at the monitors to keep an eye on his vitals. His heart rate was high but it was to be expected in the beginning. All the machines connected to The Chamber that were so vital to it - nutrigel, the advanced perfluorocarbon, all the painkillers and steroids and hormones and everything in that family - started to roar to life and pumped into the pod. Some into The Chamber itself, others into Dan’s body.

  


“Don’t fight it.” Geoff laid his hand on the glass, the dome growing warm as the fluid started to rise. “There we go buddy, almost done.”

  


It reached the top and he waited, breath bated as Dan lost his. The fluid swished around him as he struggled not to breathe, all his vitals shooting up and beeping harshly, but gradually they quieted and stopped flashing red. They turned as soothing and green as the liquid and the writhing stopped. Geoff relaxed as Dan did, everything settling into place. When he looked down he saw the soldier was tranquil, the drugs having flooded his system and the fluid down into his lungs.

  


Geoff felt a pang of guilt that he hadn’t initiated the sedative first, that Dan had gone at least partway through the horrible sensation of drowning. Maybe that had been a personal jab at the soldier for coming into their home and shaking up their world, for making Gavin cry, for calling them “monsters” when the true monsters were the ones that had created them. The ones who had brainwashed the Little Brothers, the ones that had wanted to peek up Michael’s skirt, the ones who had dragged away the tiny bodies of the little boy’s whose systems had rejected the slug.

  


“How long, Geoff?”

  


Gavin’s voice was tiny and when he looked the boy was clinging to Michael, still quietly crying.

  


“Only a couple months, Gavvy. He needs time to cook.” He patted the dome. “It’ll fly by like no time at all. Then you’ll have your Big Daddy, like you deserve.”

  


Gavin reluctantly let go of Michael to shuffle forward, glancing longingly at Dan’s languid form before he hugged Geoff around the middle. The man huffed in surprise before happily hugging him back.

  


“You’ll always be my Daddy,” Gavin promised sweetly, rubbing his cheek against the armor there. “Having him doesn’t mean I’ll lose you. Just more love, right?”

  


Geoff rubbed between the wings of his shoulder blades. “Yes. More love to go around.”

  


~*~

  


A month crept by. No one wanted to admit it but they were all anxiously waiting around for Dan to emerge from The Chamber, or for something to go horribly wrong. Even Ryan seemed more fidgety than normal. They all tried to distract themselves but they all knew there was one thing on their minds. The Big Daddies started to get worried about Gavin. The boy had taken up a habit of visiting the Beta Series lab everyday, sneaking away to sit in front of The Chamber and talk to Dan through the glass.

  


But the Little Brothers understood the siren song of a Big Daddy, even a growing one, and although they worried they did not protest.

  


Gavin packed a bag the first day, an army duffel he’d taken from one of the hotel rooms. A squishy pillow, a blanket, some of his favorite books, even his camera. Everytime he left he stuffed it into one of the lockers for safe keeping, though he was always careful to yank the metal plate back into place as well as drag some debris in the way to make it look like a dead end. He was always careful. Fine-tuned as he was to noise and smell from his years alone, he was quick and sure about his routes to the lab and he was never followed.

  


He’d place the pillow on top of the pod and perch on top of it, get a book or two to read out loud to his sleeping lover. He’d croon and tap at the glass, singing just inches from the glass, lips grazing it and breath fogging it up. Sometimes Gavin would just talk to him, tell him about his day or what he wanted to do, little memories of his past if they bubbled up.

  


“I hope you have all your memories when you wake up,” Gavin cooed, laying belly down on the pod and giving the glass little kisses above Dan’s peaceful face. “I want to learn everything about you.”

  


He sighed daintily and laid his cheek against the dome, the sound turning into a whine. “I miss you so badly. I can’t wait to have you in my arms again. My Daniel.”

  


~*~

  


It was Ryan who felt it first. He’d woken up in a panic in the living room of Geoff’s stolen apartment, babbling endlessly about ravens and water. It had taken all three Little Brothers to calm him, to bring him back from the nightmare and into reality. But with Ryan that was easier said than done. In the end he kept repeating phoenix with urgency, over and over until Geoff finally got the hint.

  


“Is he done cooking, buddy? Can you feel it?”

  


Gavin bolted so fast from the room they could still feel the heat of him as they chased after him. They followed his quick footsteps all the way to the Big Daddy lab, fighting off rabid Splicers and clearing the area before safely slipping down into the Beta Series sublab. The Chamber was absolutely pulsing, machines glowing bright and screens reading lots of positive signs.

  


“Well, it looks like he really is ready,” Geoff announced after checking the screens, feeling hesitantly hopeful. “Gavin, get in front of the pod. I want you to be the first thing he sees. It’s only right.”

  


Gavin was already choked up, teary eyed and smiling lovingly. “Thank you, Daddy.”

  


Geoff’s heart jumped up into his throat but he managed to smile back. “Of course, little one. Now get ready, he’ll need you.”

  


Michael had to scoot Gavin up to the base of The Chamber, whispering that it would all be okay before joining Ray against the wall. Ryan stood with them, ready to defend in case anything went horribly wrong. The raw hope in his eyes was contagious, catching. They were all filled with nervous butterflies as Geoff started the power down sequence (carefully reading from the notes as he did so). Gavin was a fidgety mess, shifting his weight from one foot to another and fingers twitching heavily. He’d dosed up heavily on ADAM this morning in hopes of getting both Ryan and Geoff to drain him so he could get a proper rest.

  


But now it was all for Dan, if he wanted it.

  


“What if he doesn’t like me?” Gavin chirped worriedly as The Chamber started to rise, dome steamed over as the fluid started to drain. “What if he doesn’t recognize me or rejects me? We might not bond like the other Big Daddies. Y-You said we… _imprint_ on each other?” The words were clunky on his tongue, his conditioning battling with the cold logic that they’d presented with when Dan had arrived in Rapture. “What if it doesn’t work now?”

  


Geoff’s lips pursed. “Gavin…”

  


“What if he doesn’t love me anymore?” Gavin’s voice trembled. He could see the figure in The Chamber and it was bigger than his Dan had been. “He could be a different person altogether. Or even a-” He cut himself off, refusing to utter the word _monster_.

  


“That won’t happen,” Geoff promised, feeling confidant as he read the stats on the screens. Everything looked, from what he could tell, normal. The Chamber was locked into place and draining fast now, bubbling faintly. Dan’s form was more visible now, pumped full and sopping wet but every machine pointing to _alive_. “Ready?”

  


Gavin nodded, chewing his lip so hard the skin threatened to give.

  


Geoff entered the sequence that had been written plainly in the notes. The Chamber hissed and unsealed, the lid rising and dripping to reveal its treasure. Gavin gaped, fingers coming up to touch his mouth as surprise swamped him.

  


Dan was beautiful. Muscles had swelled - not as much as Ryan but to Geoff’s size. His clothes had stretched and torn, shredding along his chest and hips and straining everywhere else. He’d filled out the slot that had been made in The Chamber and his skin had taken on the grey tint of a Big Daddy. Hardened, enhanced, a little unearthly. Geoff took off his gloves and was gentle as he started to remove the tubes and sensors. He was as careful as he could be removing the tape and easing the thick tube from Dan’s throat. Gel and saliva and stomach acid dripped from the end of it as he moved it aside. The machines gradually powered down one at a time, the whole pod started to fade.

  
“Daniel?” Geoff whispered as he cupped the man’s face between his hands, turning it toward him. The fresh Big Daddy was the right size and was breathing, soaked and barely clothed as he was. He slapped his cheek, repeating his name a few more times to try and rouse him. It was slow going. Dan’s lashes twitched, fingers flexing weakly - reacting. Geoff took off the straps and started massaging along his arms, dragging his thumbs into his collar and shoulder to try and wake the new muscles up.

  


Dan groaned quietly, lids twitching hard before his eyes finally pried open. He was bleary and unfocused at first, making soft noises and moving a little under Geoff’s hands, but he was coming around more quickly than could’ve been hoped for. “Geoff?”

  


Dan’s voice had deepened, fizzling with ADAM.

  


“Good morning, Daniel,” Geoff greeted, checking his pupils and letting his thumb rest over his pulse. It was spiking a little but nothing that wouldn’t happen after waking up disoriented. “I know everything seems a little strange right now and you might not feel good, but everything is okay. Just stay calm for me.”

  


Dan gaped at him, brow furrowed up. He looked like he was looking for the right words but was having trouble.

  


“Don’t push yourself,” Geoff advised. “We’re all here. But there’s someone special who wants to see you first.”

  


Dan lazily turned his head and his eyes caught on Gavin’s shaking form. The Little Brother was rattled with nerves, staring with open admiration and fear. Dan seemed to come alive, brightening from within as he recognized Gavin. The smile that broke out over his face was pure sunshine and he started to try to get up, grabbing weakly at the sides of the pod and dragging himself to sit up. Geoff helped, fondness filling his heart as he watched the two stare at one another like long lost lovers.

  


How could he be jealous or angry when they were so damn precious?

  


“Gavin,” Dan huffed as he attempted to pry himself up out of the dome. His arms shook but gained strength with the help of Geoff’s hand on his lower back.

  


“Deep breaths, give your body a moment to recognize itself…”

  


Dan whined in the back of his throat as his legs shook too bed to climb out of the pod. It took a few moments of straining and concentration but he got them to work well enough to steady beneath him. He wobbled like a freshly born doe, all thick limbs and new weight and strange momentum. Minty green dripped from him like emeralds, sopping his hair and clothes. His boots plopped on the tiled floor and his smile somehow grew. His world had narrowed down to Gavin.

  


“Dan,” Gavin whined happily, hands reaching out for a hug. “I missed you so much, love. You remember me, right?”

  


Dan nodded eagerly, walking slowly forward. When he’d first met Gavin he’d felt a pull towards him, an instant deep familiarity and sense of affection that had grown into the overwhelming, all-encompassing love of fairytales. But now it felt like velvet hooks in his ribs gently coaxing him towards the Little Brother. Gavin radiated a warm, red light that made him hungry for so much. He knew that it was ADAM but it felt like so much more, like a deeper connection that fed into his very blood and down into the recesses of his new soul.

  


Gavin was his life, it was clear now. Everything he was or could be was for Gavin and protecting him.

  


Ryan could almost see the imprint happen. It looked distorted, like the shimmer of heat off metal, and then faded into crystal clarity before Gavin ran into Dan’s arms. The new Big Daddy took him up happily, tears glazing his eyes but never falling as he hugged the boy close and tight. He picked him right up off the ground and long limbs wrapped possessively around his shoulders and waist.

  


“There’s my Little Boy,” Dan rumbled, burying his face in golden brown tresses. “My tiny Gavin. My baby boy.”

  


It sounded strangely like Geoff and it made the older Big Daddy’s smile flicker away.

  


“Dan,” Gavin gushed, breathing in the smell of chemicals and ADAM. It reminded him of nights curled around his favorite Big Daddy, Mr. Z, and it warmed him in a new one. “I missed you. I needed you so much but now you’re here and I love you even more somehow. I don’t understand but you’re _here_.”

  


“I am,” Dan squeezed him tighter, smiling so hard it started to hurt. “And I’ll never leave you again. I won’t let it happen. You’re mine, I’m yours.”

  


“Daddy?” Gavin whispered into his ear, fingers digging in hard.

  


Dan felt his heart swell in love and he nosed at the boy’s cheek until he could catch him in a kiss. It sealed the promise in with aching tenderness. “My darling. Nothing will come between us again.”

  


Gavin started to sob. He buried his face in Dan’s neck and started to wail in almost painful relief. The new Big Daddy hushed and gently rocked him. Michael and Ray shared a look and smiled, their fingers twining and squeezing. Ryan leaned against the wall, sighing happily as the connection sealed.

  


“Boys?”

  


Dan turned to look at Geoff, still holding Gavin who was getting soaked with the minty conversion gel and his own hiccupy tears. Geoff powered down The Chamber completely and slid back on his gloves, mustache quirking in the first sincere smile he’d given in quite a while.

  


“Let’s go home.”

  


~*~

  


Back at the crumbling and booby-trapped hotel, Geoff guided the newly bonded couple up a floor above his own suite to a place he’d been working on for them. It was spacious and close, linked with a ventilation tunnel and a straight shot across from the suite that Ryan was renovating for him and Ray so they could move closer. It was all the colors of the sea with a wide, reinforced window that showed off the dark waters.

  


Gavin cried quietly as he leaned against the glass and looked out, eyes glowing bright as he basked in the feeling of all his dreams coming true. Dan quietly thanked Geoff, shaking his hand and telling him how much he appreciated it.

  


“No problem, buddy.”

 

“No, Geoff, for _everything_ ,” Dan insisted, gripping his hand pointedly. “I never would’ve thought I could feel like this. I’m so...complete. I’m fulfilled, whole. I wouldn’t have believed it if you’d told me it would be like this.” His whole face softened and Geoff felt his heart skip. “Maybe I didn’t give you a chance to. I was pretty bloody scared and I know I said some disgusting things to you, to the family, and I want to ask you to forgive me.”

  


Geoff frowned, peering into those freshly bright eyes. Those words were in exact contrast to the feisty human soldier he’d dueled against. “Daniel? Are you...still in there?”

  


“Of course, Geoff,” Dan laughed with a pure, jovial note that sent ice through his blood. “I can just see things more clearly now. You helped really open my eyes to what’s important.”

  


Geoff’s stomach bottomed out. There was something more than ADAM in that dark gaze. Something foreign but too familiar from what he’d seen in Ryan’s gaze, what he’d seen in his own in the mirror. _God, what have I done?_

  


“I’ll...leave you two alone.” His hand dropped from Dan’s grip, the other Big Daddy already distracted by Gavin’s happy chirping as a school of fish swam by. The couple crowded near the window and laughed, Dan tucking the boy into his side as the fish were pointed out to him and named properly. Geoff thought to say something but he wasn’t sure what. The scene was picturesque, romantic, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to hurt that.

  


Geoff quietly took his leave with a heavy heart and a new burden on his shoulders.

  


~*~

  


They cuddled closer in their new bed. Geoff had left them clean sheets and blankets and even swollen pillows that didn’t smell mildewy. They’d christened it the moment they were alone, eating at each other’s mouths and clawing at each other the first round. Dan had taken him like an animal, bending him over the bed by his hair and fucking him until he was yowling like a heated cat. Their second round was smoother, sweeter - true love making. They couldn’t stop kissing slow and deep as they rocked together, long legs wrapped around strong hips as they came together in waves.

  


Still needy, Dan had sucked his boy off and then spilled across his fit, lean thighs just to mark him.

  


Now exhausted, Gavin was tucked into his love’s side and under his thick arm. They fit perfectly. He talked idly about decorating the room, about going looking for clothes and baubles for their shelves - just the two of them, picking through the rubble together for their little love nest. He pet Dan’s chest to feel the new muscle and enhanced skin, testing it against his nails, petting lovingly. His body was new but just as perfect as it had been before. There was so many changes - stamina, muscle, the tone of his voice, but his Dan was still in there. He couldn't wait to explore him properly.

  


They both grew quiet and basked in the warmth of one another, the sound of two heartbeats and synced breaths. Gavin felt the first flicker of worry as he noticed the soldier was staring over at the window to the other parts of Rapture. He sat up on his elbow and cupped Dan’s cheek, turning his head to look at him.

  


“Do you still want to go to the surface?” he asked plainly, searching his lover’s eyes.

  


“No.” It was short and honest, coupled with a small smile. “I have all I need right here.”

  


He ran his thumb along his cheek and breathed out, chest lightening up and body growing lax. “Good. I love you.”

  


“I love you too.” Dan eased him back down under his arm, kissing his forehead. “Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll watch over you.”

  


Gavin could feel sleep itching at his eyes but he pouted. “Won’t you sleep too?”  


 

“No, darling. I’ve slept enough for a while.” He rubbed a thumb over his cheek. “I’d rather watch over you. Let me?”

  


Gavin melted into him, eyes drooping closed. “I’ve missed you for so long, longer than you’ve been asleep...my whole life, I’ve missed you.”

 

“I’m here now, Gavin. Nothing will change that.”

  


Gavin whimpered lowly. “Daddy…”

  


“Hush, love. Get some rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

 

* * *

  
**Here we are my loves - the end of the main game. I know it took about a year but we did it. Why we? Because I couldn't do this without you guys. Without Z, or Chooboozle, or pack...without all you lovely readers. Without all these people I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't still be doing this. I know there are probably some tears, or frustrations, but welcome to the Bioshock world and it's pain, heartbreak, and tragic beauty *rants forever, pretends they are Andrew Ryan***    
  
**This will be the end of the journey for a lot of people, but for those dedicated players there are two DLC for this story. "Geoffery Fink" and "The Last Call of Rapture", which are Geoff's background story and the epilogue respectively. They will be one shots on their own and as with most DLC, they're release date is vague. So iron your stomachs and be on the lookout!**

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Rapture (also known as the North Atlantic Project and the Rapture Colony) is a massive underwater city forged by the personal dreams of Andrew Ryan to escape from the political, social and religious anxieties of a post-World War II world. It was established on November 5, 1946 and finished in late 1951.
> 
> On December 31, 1958, a massive working-class uprising—the 1958 New Year's Eve Riots—was started by Atlas, with attacks in many upper-class locations. This evolved into a civil war between Atlas and Ryan, made worse by the effects of ADAM addiction in many of the city's residents.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Little Brother; Bigger Brother](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3171750) by [Tentabot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tentabot/pseuds/Tentabot)
  * [1 Brother, Two Daddies, Red Suits, Blue Dresses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3315830) by [Shinju_Tori_Archives (Shinju_Tori)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinju_Tori/pseuds/Shinju_Tori_Archives)
  * [Swayin' to the Lighthouse Blues](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3710392) by [Tentabot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tentabot/pseuds/Tentabot)




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